Maine Pro-Family Group Fights Spread of Legalized Gambling
by Chad Groening
January 14, 2005
(AgapePress) - A signature-gathering effort is underway in Maine in order to get on the ballot a referendum designed to repeal a law that permits slot machines at a Bangor racing track.Michael Heath, executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, says 1,500 slot machines are expected to be installed at the race track in Bangor this year after being narrowly approved by voters in November 2003. Now, in the hope of preventing the installation, he is urging Christians in the Maine to sign a petition opposing the gambling devices.
Heath says those circulating the petition have gathered close to 20,000 signatures, but "they need 50,000. We've got until the fall to gather them. They need help, and they would like to get into the churches up here and gather signatures," he notes.
The pro-family activist feels the pro-slots ballot issue of November 2003, which passed by only a slight margin, needs to be raised before the citizens again. "We want to turn it back to where Maine said 'No ... we don't want class three gambling, we don't want slot machines or casino table games in our state," he says.
That is the object of the petition drive now underway -- to institute a referendum "to go into the law and say slot machines are no longer legal," Heath explains. "That would shut down the Bangor operation, and we would go back to the way it was prior to 2003. Although the CCLM spokesman says most area "political types" do not believe such a measure has much chance of passing, he asserts, "we still think it's important to revisit that."
But even barring the hope of reversing the pro-gambling legislation, CCLM is still concerned with keeping slots from coming into use in other areas of the state. If the citizens cannot get the legislation repealed, "then we obviously need to contain it and keep the slot machines from spreading outside the city of Bangor," Heath says. Right now," the activist adds, "some voices within the gambling crowd up here in Maine are saying that would be fine with them, but I don't expect that to last."
The building of casinos is yet another area of concern for CCLM. Heath says the Indian tribes in Maine have been particularly interested in opening casinos in the state, but so far have failed to get approval from the voters.
