The State Board of Education has voted, unanimously, to approve a position paper regarding Amendment One – the proposal to change the Constitution to allow a casino to be built at Rockaway Beach in southwest Missouri. The position paper, put forward by Board Vice President Peter Herschend – a co-owner of Silver Dollar City in Branson – questions the benefits of the revenues that would be allocated to education. He insists this is not a resolution and the Board has not taken a position on the Amendment. The proposal being voted on next Tuesday would allocate funding specifically to a little more than a dozen troubled school districts throughout the state. School districts performing adequately or very well would not receive any benefits from this. Herschend is a vocal opponent of gambling. He is the biggest contributor to the effort opposing Amerndment One on Tuesday’s ballot.
