Time is running out for state representatives to vote on a joint resolution and bill that would tie slots in Ohio racetracks to college scholarships.

Since passed by the Senate on Oct. 15 and introduced to the House the next day, Senate Bill 99 and Joint Resolution 8 have yet to be assigned to a committee. These two pieces of legislature would allow Ohioans to vote on whether or not they want slot machines in Ohio racetracks and tie slot proceeds to scholarship programs for Ohio high school students at Ohio colleges and universities.

House Speaker Larry Householder is in charge of assigning bills to committees and has previously told local media that he supports slot machine proceeds being used to take 1 percent off the current 6 percent state sales tax a year early.

The deadline for the bill and resolution to pass and be given to Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell for inclusion on the March 2 primary ballot is Dec. 3, said Carlo LoParo, a spokesman for Blackwell. The next opportunity to get the proposed amendment on the ballot is Aug. 4, for the Nov. 2 general election, LoParo said.

Bill sponsor Sen. Louis Blessing, R-Cincinnati, suggested a change to his early proposal.

“Because the sales tax expires in July 2005 anyway, I offered the compromise of using the VLT (video lottery terminal) proceeds to roll back the sales tax six months, and after ’05 use it for scholarships,” he said.

Blessing said he is pushing to get the proposal passed soon because Ohio loses money every day to gambling facilities in Indiana, West Virginia, Michigan and Canada.

“We lose $1.3 million in state revenue that we can’t get back. All I’m trying to do is keep the money in Ohio,” Blessing said.

Householder responded to the proposal by saying he wasn’t sure Blessing’s proposal would cover the cost of repealing the extra sales tax. According to Senate Bill 99’s fiscal notes, the net proceeds for fiscal year 2005, the fiscal year before the sales tax is slated to be repealed, is $200 million, and the net proceeds for fiscal year 2006 would be $500 million. The extra penny on the sales tax generates about $1.3 billion annually.

John Kohlstrand, spokesman for the House Democrats caucus, said little has changed in their opinion of the Senate bill since it passed over a month ago.

“A substantial majority of our caucus is prepared to vote in favor of the Senate plan,” he said.