Casino allegedly bribed officials
Officials of a Minnesota-based casino management company are disputing the findings of an investigative report that alleges self-dealing by people formerly associated with Lucky Star Casinos.
The report released Friday claims that Southwest Casino Corp. bribed Cheyenne and Arapaho officials in hopes of securing an extension of the company’s lucrative management contract.
That contract was worth $23 million between 2002 and 2007, and the company’s financial viability depended on securing an extension, the report states.
Southwest Casino President Thomas Fox disputed the report’s claims.
OEA pushing for petition signatures
Oklahoma Education Association officials plan a push this weekend to gather signatures for an initiative petition that seeks to force the state Legislature to increase education funding.
Educators launched the initiative petition drive July 31. They are trying to gather enough signatures to call for a statewide vote in 2010 to amend the constitution to require more funding.
State Question 744 would require the Legislature to finance schools at the regional average for per-pupil expenditures. Oklahoma’s per-pupil funding is $6,900 a year, compared to the $8,300 regional average.
