FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 29, 2004

CONTACT:

Pat Loontjer, GWTGL Executive Director (402) 598-7227

“Gambling with the Good Life” (GWTGL) office (402) 496-2274 or (866) 632-7876

Nebraska Leaders Stand United

Against Casinos and Slot Machines

Lincoln, NE, USA -- Twenty-five high profile elected officials joined forces today to speak out against casinos and slot machines. They held a news conference in the State Capitol rotunda to urge voters to vote “NO” on Amendment 3 and Initiatives 417 through 420 on Tuesday, November 2nd.

Governor Mike Johanns, Attorney General Jon Bruning and twenty-one state senators are working together to defeat the Nevada interests who are spending millions of dollars to influence Nebraska voters.

Governor Johanns said, “My hope is that Nebraskans will reject false claims put forth in flashy advertising and study the issue for themselves. I’m confident that doing so will lead them to conclude that expanded gambling would not solve state budget challenges, instead it would generate millions of dollars for Nevada interests. Voters who get the facts will know that promises of limited gambling are just plain false. Neither the Legislature nor voters would have the power to limit the number of casinos as proposed. The more questions voters ask, the clearer it will become that these proposals are not worth the gamble.”

Attorney General Jon Bruning said, “Preserving the good life for future generations means doing what’s best for our communities. Expanded gambling and the problems associated with it would jeopardize our state’s future and put at risk all that we’ve worked so hard to build.”

Sen. Roger Wehrbein, Chair Appropriations Committee, “Having expanded gambling in Nebraska is just not worth the added social costs and reduced quality of life it will bring.”

Sen. Jim Jensen, Chair HHSS Committee, District 20, “As a businessperson and chair of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, I can say without question that casino gambling is absolutely the wrong thing for Nebraska. In addition to decreased worker productivity, Nebraska business owners can expect to see increases in absenteeism from work as well as employee embezzlement. Added to these costs will be increases in gambling addiction and bankruptcy. I refuse to sell out even one Nebraska citizen based on, at best, speculative financial interests.”

Sen. Elaine Stuhr, Chair Retirement System Committee, “I will be voting NO on all the gambling proposals. I feel expanded gambling will be a tapeworm sucking the lifeblood out of many Nebraska families and our economy.”

In addition to the speakers, the following senators attended the news conference to make their opposition known: Tom Baker, Ernie Chambers, Patrick Engel, Philip Erdman, Mike Foley, Carol Hudkins, Joel Johnson, Jim Jones, Bob Kremer, Lowen Kruse, Dave Landis, Mick Mines, Marian Price, Ron Raikes, Pam Redfield, Adrian Smith, Gene Tyson, and Floyd Vrtiska.

“Gambling with the Good Life” has put together an unprecedented coalition of groups and individuals to fight the Nevada casino companies that want to take more money out of Nebraska. Farmers, doctors, lawyers, ministers, financial planners, business leaders, Congressmen, and thousands of volunteers have joined the effort to defeat the Nevada lobby.

Other prominent Nebraskans who have taken a stand against expanded gambling include Tom and Nancy Osborne, Warren Buffett, Omaha Mayor Fahey, Former Mayor and Congressman Hal Daub, and many others. All stand united against expanded gambling, pledging to vote “NO” on Amendment 3 and Initiatives 417 through 420 on Tuesday, November 2nd.

The coalition of prominent Nebraskans opposing expanded gambling presents a stark contrast to the handful of individual Nebraska state senators featured in pro-Amendment 3 advertising paid for by Nevada interests. None of them have invested their own dollars to back Amendment 3.

“Gambling with the Good Life” is a grassroots citizen action organization dedicated to preserving the “Good Life” by opposing expanded gambling in the state of Nebraska.

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Editor’s Note: MP3 files of the remarks presented by the speakers at today’s news conference will be available for the media to download at www.gamblingwiththegoodlife.com. The MP3 files may be downloaded by “right clicking” on the links from the left side of our home page, and then selecting “Save Target As…”.