Non-binding Republican gambling question could sway Georgia lawmakers
Should Georgia allow casino gambling, with funds going to education?If you vote a Republican ballot on July 31 -- and most Coweta County voters will select a Republican ballot -- you will get to answer that question.
The gambling issue is one of the non-binding questions on GOP ballots. That means the results will not create casinos, but the results will be a current gauge of the mood of Republican voters on gambling. Significant support of gambling among the Republican electorate could sway the actions of the GOP-dominated legislature in the future.
The straw vote comes at a time when our state is wresting with ways to save the HOPE scholarship program that has been funded since its inception by Georgia Lottery proceeds. HOPE has been cut because current lottery proceeds are not keeping up with the need for revenue.
Again, the gambling question being posed for Republican voters July 31 is non-binding, but the results could indeed impact future legislative decisions on gambling.
If voters say no on July 31, our Republican legislature likely will not be pushing gambling proposals in the near future. If the vote is yes, such proposals may be more palatable to those lawmakers.
