FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement of Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot Regarding the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Ruling on Slots Wednesday, September 10, 2008

"The Anne Arundel County Circuit Court ruling is a victory for the voters of Maryland who deserve a fair and honest presentation of this significant change in Maryland's constitution. The Court recognized that putting a former slots lobbyist in charge of writing a constitutional amendment results in biased language - language that must be changed to ensure that the public knows the truth when going to the polls this November.

It is unfortunate that it took litigation to get Annapolis to do the right thing. The Court has recognized the manipulation of this language and has taken appropriate action to correct this injustice. Clearly, the ballot language still does not give voters the whole story, and it is my hope that, on appeal, the Court will rule to give voters a more complete description of this gambling industry giveaway."

Contact: Joe Shapiro, 410-260-7305, office, 443-871-2244, cell