Rather than push an initiative to bring video slots to the District on the November ballot, gambling promoters will instead try to build better public support for the proposal before moving forward in 2008, an attorney for the group said Tuesday.
Jeffrey D. Robinson, an attorney for slots supporters, said the group will not turn in the nearly 40,000 signatures — about half of which matched registered D.C. voters — they have collected in the past few weeks, thus removing the initiative from the fall ballot.
“We want the focus to be on the proposal, not on any outside forces or challenges,” Robinson said. “We thought it would be better to wait and focus on community outreach.”
Slots supporters, financed by U.S. Virgin Islands-based investor Shawn Scott, had until Monday evening to collect and turn in the signatures of at least 5 percent of registered voters citywide. Robinson said the group expects the initiative to appear on the ballot for the citywide 2008 election. He said the group expects to continue to collect and verify signatures through the Dec. 11 deadline and those signatures would still be valid in two years.
Dorothy Brizill, a community activist who lead the effort to stop a similar effort in 2004, said nearly every community leader has come out “four-square opposed” to the initiative and doubts the group had the required signatures.
“We have to remain vigilant and continue to monitor how these people are circulating the petitions,” Brizill said. “There is no bottom line with these individuals.”
mrupert@dcexaminer.com
