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Idaho Tribes Want State Vote on Gambling

14 June 2001

BOISE, Idaho –June 14, 2001 –As reported by the (Idaho) Spokesman-Review: "Two North Idaho tribes will launch a statewide campaign to place the issue of tribal gambling in casinos on the 2002 ballot, attorneys said Tuesday.

"…Representatives met Tuesday with Gov. Dirk Kempthorne and former Govs. Phil Batt and Cecil Andrus to inform them of their plans.

"Kempthorne declined to discuss the idea of a voter initiative on tribal gaming, saying he'd prefer to wait until the tribes formally announce their plans today. But he did say he has sensed support among Idahoans for the kind of limited gambling Indian tribes now conduct.

"…The campaign to gather enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot could cost between $4 million and $8 million, according to previous statements by Dave Matheson, tribal gaming CEO for the Coeur d'Alenes.

"…The effort will be one of the first serious and well-funded attempts to gather enough signatures to place an issue on a statewide ballot since lawmakers made it far more difficult to do so in 1997.

"…The tribes decided to move ahead with the campaign after a statewide poll of 1,200 Idahoans taken this spring showed that a significant majority of respondents supported tribal gambling.

"The poll was commissioned after state senators this year defeated a gambling compact crafted by tribal representatives and Kempthorne.

"…The main provisions of that bill would have defined and legalized `tribal gaming devices,' but limited their number.

"The initiative will also provide that `the tribes share a portion of their gaming revenue with local education programs and schools on or near the reservation,' said Alice Koskela, legislative affairs director and legal counsel for the Coeur d'Alenes.

"…More than 43,000 signatures are required for ballot placement, and will likely be collected by a combination of volunteers and professionals, Koskela said…"

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