Paid for by Citizens for Colburn Committee. Authority John W. Phillips, Jr., Treasurer

Colburn defends referendum decision
Star Democrat
March 6, 2005

ANNAPOLIS — State Sen. Richard F. Colburn, R-37-Mid-Shore, defended his decision to sponsor a senate bill that would put a non-binding referendum on the ballot asking Dorchester County voters if the county should have slot machines. He said the Dorchester County Council supported the idea of a straw poll referendum in 2004, but the council changed its position in 2005.

The county council voted 3-1 March 1 to send letters stating opposition to commercial gaming to Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich, State Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch.

About a month earlier (Feb. 2), Colburn introduced SB 526, intended to gauge public opinion via a straw ballot on video lottery terminals in Dorchester County. A hearing on SB 526 is scheduled March 15 before the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. The bill would require a ballot question at the November 2006 general election in Dorchester County. It would read: “Do you support locating video lottery terminals licensed by the state for commercial gaming in Dorchester County?”

Colburn said a similar bill was considered in 2004 with the support of the county council. Colburn said the council, in a recent move led by Councilwoman Effie Elzey, has publicly changed its position.

“After reading council member Elzey’s remarks, I am a little confused as to why she is shocked at the introduction of this bill,” Colburn said in a March 4 news release. He noted the bill had been filed for nearly a month without any comment from Elzey or other council members.

“In fact, this bill is nothing new — it was introduced the year prior,” said Colburn. “It just seems to me that we need to know how the people of Dorchester County feel about video lottery terminals. We know how the Governor feels. We know how the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House feel. We know how Effie Elzey feels. We know how the Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce feels. We even know how our Congressman, who took a day off last year to come up from Washington to testify against slots anywhere in the state, feels. But no one has asked how the people of Dorchester County feel. A straw ballot is the best scientific way to find out.”

Referring to the council’s request to review his proposed legislation, Colburn said, “I have checked the Maryland Constitution and no where does it say I need to or should go to the Dorchester County Council for permission to file a bill. I only put this bill in originally because Council President (Glenn) Bramble wanted the question on the ballot, and the Attorney General opined that the council didn’t have the authority to do that. I do. I often re-introduce legislation that has failed the previous year, especially in a case like this, where I received no explanation as to why it failed. I reside in Dorchester County and I am the senator elected to represent Dorchester County. It is my prerogative to put in state bills for Dorchester and not just the legislation the council requests. This bill doesn’t impact local government. It is merely a non-binding straw poll which would gauge Dorchester County public opinion on a very controversial matter.”

Colburn said if the state legislature passed SB 526, it would not legalize video lottery terminals in Dorchester County, nor would it have a direct impact on Dorchester County or its government.

“It would simply require a question be placed on the ballot asking the voters of Dorchester County to vote in support of video lottery terminals or in opposition to them,” said Colburn. “The results will be counted for informational purposes only. “All this bill does is find out how the people of Dorchester feel about video lottery terminals. Why is the County Council opposed to knowing the public opinion on this issue all of a sudden?”

Colburn recapped the slots debate over the past year. He said a surprise maneuver in 2004 was a senate bill that included Dorchester County as a possible location for slots at an off-track betting site. Colburn said he wasn’t consulted about the proposal, so neither he nor any other Dorchester resident had the opportunity to offer input. Colburn said most people found out by reading a Feb. 25, 2004 article in The (Baltimore) Sun.

Colburn said the Jan. 29, 2004 issue of The (Cambridge) Daily Banner had an article titled “Bozman: Put slots in Cambridge,” in which Cambridge Mayor Cleveland Rippons stated, “Cambridge has been named in the past as a good place for them (slots). But, until the legislature decides where they are going with slots, we must focus on other priorities. If the legislature moves toward bringing slots to the Eastern Shore, we will call for public hearings. Then, with public opinion known, we can move forward. For now, we’re taking it step by step.”

Colburn learned of the Dorchester proposal on February 25, 2004 and the final vote was taken on Feb. 27, 2004. “I had Dorchester removed from the bill, only to find out later that the Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce had voted overwhelmingly to support it,” he said.

Colburn said his straw poll ballot bill in 2004 found early support, including a March 31, 2004 letter of support from the Dorchester County Council. The letter stated council “encourages you to consider supporting (straw ballot legislation) as it will provide the voters of Dorchester County with the ability to cast their votes and truly determine public opinion.”

Colburn said last summer House Speaker Busch included Dorchester County as a video lottery terminal location when he discussed holding a special session of the Maryland General Assembly. When Busch introduced legislation this year, he once again included Dorchester County as a possible site location.

“It is obvious this issue will not go away in Dorchester County, or for that matter Maryland,” Colburn said.