Maryland: For Maryland For Our Future

The pro-slots movement continued gaining money momentum last week after its leading advocacy organization outraised its rival anti-slots ballot issue committee by a substantial margin.

Voters will decide in November if the state constitution should be amended to allow up to 15,000 slot machine installations at five different locations across the state.

Proponents of November's controversial slots referendum hold a 20 percent advantage over their opponents, according to the pro-slots organization For Maryland For Our Future.

Voters will decide in November if the state constitution should be amended to allow up to 15,000 slot machines at five different locations across the state. A poll paid for by For Maryland For Our Future, and conducted by the Garin Hart Yang Research Group, shows 58 percent of Maryland voters in favor of passing Question 2, 38 percent against it and 4 percent undecided about the ballot initiative.

Pro-slots organization For Maryland For Our Future substantially outraised its rival anti-slots group during the last financial period, according to reports filed last week with the State Board of Elections.

For Maryland For Our Future ended the last financial quarter with $558,848.04 cash-on-hand and $3,781,500 in total receipts.

Anti-slots ballot issue committee Marylanders United to Stop Slots ended with $142,896.34 cash-on-hand and $411,053 in total receipts.

The Maryland Republican party says the state government doesn't have revenue problem, rather, it has a spending problem.

"The advertising from advocates of the slots constitutional amendment claims that the only solution to the projected deficit is to raise taxes or pass the referendum, I want to make it perfectly clear that the MDGOP is firmly opposed to raising taxes," said MDGOP chair Jim Pelura in a statement.

Pelura suggested that with a careful evaluation, spending could be brought under control.