This year there are 6 ballot proposals on the general election ballot for voters to decide.
I thought I would go through these one at a time this week.
The official ballot text for Proposal # 1 reads as follows:
Authorizing Casino Gaming
“The proposed amendment to section 9 of article 1 of the Constitution would allow the Legislature to authorize up to seven casinos in New York State for the legislated purposes of promoting job growth, increasing aid to schools, and permitting local governments to lower property taxes through revenues generated. Shall the amendment be approved?”
What it Means:
The measure would allow the legislature to authorize up to seven casinos in the state, specifically for the stated purposes of promoting job growth, increasing funding to schools and permitting local governments to lower property taxes.
While not transcribed into the amendment nor ballot measure language, the Governor and legislature have agreed to a two phase expansion of casinos if the measure passes.
Phase 1: Allow for the construction and running of four total casinos in upstate New York – two in the Catskills, one in the Southern Tier and one near Albany.
Phase 2: After seven years pass, allow for the construction and running of three casinos in New York City.
An agreement between the state and St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has given the tribe a monopoly on casinos in certain counties, including neighboring Warren and Essex counties. While technically a long shot, Washington county would be eligible for one Casino if the measure passes, which I detailed here in this former post.
Learn More:
For a full analysis of both the pros and cons of Prop 1: check out this page on BallotPedia.org