Next Tuesday, voters in the State of Michigan will be asked to consider changing the State Constitution. Proposal 1 seeks to amend the State Constitution to require voter approval of any form of gambling authorized by law after January 1, 2004. This includes the state lottery, but excludes Indian tribal gaming and Casinos in the City of Detroit. The backers of Proposal 1 seek to create a monopoly for the Indian Tribal Casinos and Vegas Casinos in the City of Detroit.

Loss in revenue from the state lottery will have a devastating affect on our public schools. If Proposal 1 passes, the Michigan Bureau of State Lottery estimates the potential losses to the School Aid Fund over the next three-year period to be $602,107,900. This equates to approximately $317 per student.

Proposal 1 will do nothing to curb the increase of Indian Tribal Casinos or gambling in the casinos in Detroit. The final line of the proposal states "... voter approval requirement does not apply to Indian tribal gaming or gambling in up to three casinos located in the City of Detroit."

On the surface Proposal 1 may sound like a good proposal, but we urge you to examine the facts and read between the lines before making your decision. Attached are talking points from the MASA (Michigan Association of School Administrators) and No CasiNO MoNOpoly-Vote No on Prop1, Committee. The following websites have valuable information on this important proposal.

http://www.gomasa.org/proposal1.htm

http://www.votenoonprop1.com/

Please keep in mind that a "yes" vote will change the Michigan State Constitution and affect our public schools.

Sara Haines

Donna Hendershot