Sun Feb 12 2012
by Marc Kovac
Capital Bureau Chief
Columbus -- The Ohio House has signed off on a ballot issue that would change the location of a Columbus casino, while overruling the objections of Youngstown lawmakers pushing for a casino in their community.
"The people of the Mahoning Valley deserve the opportunity to have a casino just as much as anyone else," said Rep. Ronald Gerberry, (D-Austintown), during the floor debate on the issue.
"We need help now, and we have been told long enough we'll get you the next time. Next time is now," he added.
The final vote on the resolution was 71-26, and the issue will appear on the May primary ballot.
In November, voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing casinos at specific sites in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo.
Since then, Columbus officials have been in discussions with casino representatives with hopes of relocating the site in that city.
To do that, the issue has to be put to voters statewide again -- a move that required legislative action.
The Ohio Senate OK'd the casino ballot issue Jan. 26, on a vote of 31-2.
However, an attempt by Sen. Joe Schiavoni, (D-Canfield) to add language to allow a casino location in Youngstown failed.
Rep. Bob Hagan (D-Youngstown) offered a comparable amendment in the House Jan. 27. He said his community -- once one of the top steel-producing cities in the world -- has lost upward of 50,000 jobs in the past three decades.
Hagan, whose amendment was quashed on a 72-25 vote, said the plight of the Mahoning Valley has been ignored for decades.
"For 23 years that I've been here, I've been waiting for people to pay attention to the struggles that we've been going through ... Anywhere that you go in my community, you will see the desperation ... For 23 years I've been waiting for the help."
Gerberry agreed.
"People in Columbus don't get it, they just don't get it," he said.
E-mail: mkovac@dixcom.com
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