Two petition efforts to allow casino gambling and one to expand keno in Nebraska will continue for now.
Secretary of State John Gale said Monday it was too early to decide if the petitions would violate the state Constitution.
He cited a 1996 Attorney General's opinion saying that the Secretary of State must wait until all the signatures are gathered in a petition drive before determining if it can appear on the ballot.
Gambling opponents have questioned whether either casino petition should be allowed to proceed given the state constitution's limit on submitting similar ballot proposals more than once in three years.
Even though the details of proposals differ from past ones, opponents consider it more of the same.
Nebraskans voted down two casino plans in November 2004 -- one touted by Las Vegas casino interests and the other by the Legislature.
"I can fully understand the frustration of citizens who voted against expanded gambling in 2004 to find the question arising once more, and would like a decision now," Gale said. "Even some of the sponsors see the possibility of wasted effort by waiting.
"However, the process and the law are complex. As a constitutional officer and chief election officer, I am bound by oath to faithfully discharge my duties under the law and Constitution," he said.
Gale said he also would wait to rule if any of the initiatives violate the prohibition on having more than one subject on a petition.
A coalition of the Winnebago, Santee Sioux and Omaha tribes is circulating petition calling for one off-reservation, tribally owned casino, probably in or around Omaha. In return, the tribes would not build casinos on their reservations.
Boyd Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas and Boyd and Political Insight, Inc., a Mississippi political consulting firm, are circulating another, three-part casino petition.
It would allow one casino in each of the state's three congressional districts. The proposal calls for much of the gambling revenue to go to Nebraska schools, spending $3 million a year on compulsive gamblers assistance and up to $10 million to bolster live horse racing in the state.
One of the 2004 petition drives was led by Coast Casinos of Las Vegas, which has since merged with Boyd Gaming.
A group of keno parlor operators also is circulating a petition that would allow individual keno play at video machines.
Traditional keno involves people placing bets and waiting for the winning numbers to be displayed on a large screen.
The tribes' petition and one of Boyd's three petitions would need about 115,000 signatures to get on the ballot because they would change the Constitution.
But the keno measure and two other Boyd petitions would only need about 80,000 signatures because they change only state statute.
The other two Boyd petitions would change state law to create the revenue distribution formula
and create a state board to authorize, license and regulate casino gambling.
Petitioners have until July 7 to gather the needed signatures to get their issues on the November ballot.
Secretary of State John Gale said Monday it was too early to decide if the petitions would violate the state Constitution.
He cited a 1996 Attorney General's opinion saying that the Secretary of State must wait until all the signatures are gathered in a petition drive before determining if it can appear on the ballot.
Gambling opponents have questioned whether either casino petition should be allowed to proceed given the state constitution's limit on submitting similar ballot proposals more than once in three years.
Even though the details of proposals differ from past ones, opponents consider it more of the same.
Nebraskans voted down two casino plans in November 2004 -- one touted by Las Vegas casino interests and the other by the Legislature.
"I can fully understand the frustration of citizens who voted against expanded gambling in 2004 to find the question arising once more, and would like a decision now," Gale said. "Even some of the sponsors see the possibility of wasted effort by waiting.
"However, the process and the law are complex. As a constitutional officer and chief election officer, I am bound by oath to faithfully discharge my duties under the law and Constitution," he said.
Gale said he also would wait to rule if any of the initiatives violate the prohibition on having more than one subject on a petition.
A coalition of the Winnebago, Santee Sioux and Omaha tribes is circulating petition calling for one off-reservation, tribally owned casino, probably in or around Omaha. In return, the tribes would not build casinos on their reservations.
Boyd Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas and Boyd and Political Insight, Inc., a Mississippi political consulting firm, are circulating another, three-part casino petition.
It would allow one casino in each of the state's three congressional districts. The proposal calls for much of the gambling revenue to go to Nebraska schools, spending $3 million a year on compulsive gamblers assistance and up to $10 million to bolster live horse racing in the state.
One of the 2004 petition drives was led by Coast Casinos of Las Vegas, which has since merged with Boyd Gaming.
A group of keno parlor operators also is circulating a petition that would allow individual keno play at video machines.
Traditional keno involves people placing bets and waiting for the winning numbers to be displayed on a large screen.
The tribes' petition and one of Boyd's three petitions would need about 115,000 signatures to get on the ballot because they would change the Constitution.
But the keno measure and two other Boyd petitions would only need about 80,000 signatures because they change only state statute.
The other two Boyd petitions would change state law to create the revenue distribution formula
and create a state board to authorize, license and regulate casino gambling.
Petitioners have until July 7 to gather the needed signatures to get their issues on the November ballot.