The Ohio Supreme Court delivered a major blow to Governor Ted Strickland this week when, in a 6-1 opinion, the Court ruled his plan to install video lottery terminals (VLTs) in Ohio’s racetracks was subject to referendum. LetOhioVote.org, a ballot issue group who has spearheaded this fight, now has 90 days in order to collect enough signatures to place the issue before voters in November, 2010.

The Court made no ruling about whether Strickland has the authority to move forward on the VLT implementation without the companion legislation that was included in the budget bill passed by the General Assembly. “We confine our opinion here to only the narrower issue raised in this case regarding the rights of citizens to a referendum on the VLT provisions of (the budget),” Justice Maureen O’Connor said.

LetOhioVote.org filed referendum summary language to Attorney General Richard Cordray and delivered 77 petitions with 2,784 signatures to Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner just hours after the court delivered its ruling – the same delivery that was rejected by both offices in July that led to Monday’s ruling. The group now has 90 days to correct 241,366 valid signatures in at least 44 counties in order for the issue to appear on the ballot.