Papers filed to overturn gambling measure

<br>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A group led by a longtime anti-gambling lawmaker filed a referendum petition Tuesday to overturn a law permitting pari-mutuel horse racing tracks to have electronic games now played

Tuesday, April 20th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A group led by a longtime anti-gambling lawmaker filed a referendum petition Tuesday to overturn a law permitting pari-mutuel horse racing tracks to have electronic games now played only in Indian casinos.

Oklahomans for Good Government is seeking to set aside Senate Bill 553, which was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Brad Henry six weeks ago.

Rep. Forest Claunch, R-Midwest City, chairman of the group, was accompanied by church leaders as he filed the petition with the office of secretary of state.

Claunch led successful campaigns to defeat gambling issues in 1994 and 1998.

He said his organization, which includes several church leaders, is ``embarking on a campaign to protect families from the results of ruined lives when gambling opportunities become more accessible and government promotes the idea that everyone should play and win.''

Claunch said gambling is never good public policy. ``Inherent in its very nature is that those conducting the gambling and supplying the means to gamble win while everyone else loses,'' he said.

Accompanying Claunch were the Rev. Anthony L. Jordon, executive director-treasurer, Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma; the Rev. H. Franklin Cargill, district superintendent, Oklahoma District Council of the Assemblies of God, and Mike E. O'Neal, president of Oklahoma Christian University.

The group will have 90 days, until July 19, to collect 51,781 signatures to force a statewide vote of the issue.

Gov. Brad Henry said Monday the action will delay ``tens of millions of dollars'' from going to education and ``very likely will cost the horse industry jobs.'' He predicted voters would uphold the law.

Henry promoted SB 553 as a way to produce badly needed funding for schools, bring some regulation to Indian casinos and save 50,000 jobs in the horse racing industry.

The bill will raise $71 million the first year it is in effect. Most of the money will go to schools and a portion will be used for college scholarships.

David Duvall, executive director of the Oklahoma Education Association, said it contains the first new revenue stream dedicated for education since passage of an education reform and tax increase bill in 1990.

Duvall said Claunch lost his effort to defeat the measure in the Legislature and said the petition effort ``looks like sour grapes to me.''