[Photo: Maryland Chamber Chairman Betty Buck, President of Buck Distributing Co., Inc.; Chamber President/CEO Kathy Snyder, CCE; and James W. Dyke, Jr., Esq., a Partner with McGuire Woods, LLP and member of the Maryland Chamber’s Board of Directors]

The Maryland Chamber held a press conference today to announce that we support passage of the November slots referendum.

Since 2002, the Maryland Chamber has supported carefully regulated slot machines in limited locations to fund public education. Marylanders are spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year on this form of entertainment outside the State. The Maryland Chamber believes that we should keep this money at home to help fund public education.

We’ve joined together with the Maryland State Teachers Association and the Maryland Association of Counties as part of the For Maryland, For Our Future campaign to support passage of the referendum. Passing the slots referendum will help stabilize Maryland’s shaky finances, prevent future tax increases, and provide a needed boost in education funding.

Special thanks to the following members for participating in the press conference: Betty Buck, President, Buck Distributing Co., Inc.; Laurie Freeman, Managing Partner, Opus8, Inc.; W. Dyke, Jr., Esq., Partner, McGuire Woods, LLP; Pam Klahr, CCE, President & CEO, Howard County Chamber of Commerce; and Andrew Rose, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Naden/Lean, LLC.

More:

• Maryland Chamber Press Release
• Summary of the Slots Referendum
• Washington Post: Chamber Throws Weight Behind Slots Proposal
• BBJ: Maryland Chamber of Commerce backs slots passage