The Ohio Council of Churches and the Ohio United Methodist Anti-Gambling Task Force said petition workers for the Learn and Earn Committee are misleading voters into signing petitions without letting them know what they are actually signing. The Learn and Earn Committee is dedicated to bringing slot machines into Ohio, and they are proposing that said slot machines will bring in much needed revenue and scholarships for top performing students. They are allegedly having people sign the petitions, telling them that it is for scholarships, but not mentioning the slot machine aspect of the initiative.

The groups delivered letters Monday to the Attorney General’s and Secretary of State’s Offices – charging that canvassers are “intentionally deceiving Ohio citizens to get them to sign petitions.” They want the signatures re-verified, and if any intentional wrongdoing is found, they want the canvassers prosecuted and all signatures thrown out. The Attorney General responded by informing the groups that they needed to go through the county board of elections.  The secretary of state said that if it was true, then they were facing a first-degree misdemeanor and they would help prosecutors in any way they could.

This is just one more in many attempts by various groups within Ohio to postpone and/or delay the initiative, as they feel that those that have signed the petition at this time do not realize what it is they have signed, and feel that most residents really don’t want slot machines in their state no matter where the money goes.

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