COLUMBUS Hagan discusses putting drug bill in gambling issue

Hagan said he was approached by the horse-racing industry.
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- State Sen. Robert F. Hagan said Wednesday he's been in talks that could lead to placing his prescription drug discount bill into a Senate proposal that would allow video lottery terminals at Ohio's horse racetracks.
"We would like to come up with a plan that would cover as many people as possible," the Youngstown Democrat said.
Hagan said as many as three different versions of his bill that would have the state negotiate reduced prescription drug prices for the uninsured or underinsured are being circulated as possible amendments.
One possibility
They include the possibility of restricting prescription drug discounts to senior citizens.
As it exists now, the VLT legislation would ask Ohio voters to decide whether electronic gambling machines should be allowed at Ohio's seven horse tracks.
Proceeds from the video machines would largely be split between racetracks and a state-run Ohio Scholars program that would provide maximum scholarships of $5,000 for Ohio high-school graduates for one year at approved colleges in the state.
The Senate proposal, which is pending in the State and Local Government Committee, seeks a constitutional amendment, possibly for the November ballot, to allow video gambling and a bill that would set up the program.
Hagan said he was approached by the horse-racing industry about placing his drug discount bill in the video-slots legislation.
State Sen. Bob Schuler, a Cincinnati Republican and the vice chairman of the state and local government committee, said a committee vote on the VLT legislation has been scheduled for Tuesday.
Senate President Doug White, a Manchester Republican, won't say if he supports placing Hagan's bill into the VLT legislation. & quot;I'm only providing the process, & quot; he said.
The gambling machines, estimated to bring in $500 million a year, are also likely to be debated by a House-Senate conference committee hashing out the new two-year state budget that must be in place by July 1.
The two-year, $48.7 billion state budget passed by the GOP-led House in April includes a provision for video machines.
Sales-tax incentive
Under the House version, the state would discontinue a proposed temporary 1-cent boost in the state sales tax after the budget's first year if voters approve video slots.
Under the two-year, $49.3 billion state budget bill approved by the Republican-dominated Senate earlier this month, the proposed temporary sales-tax increase was extended to both budget years and the video slots provision broken off and placed in separate legislation.