Vigo County Business Leaders Launch Political Action Committee to Support Casino Referendum Campaign
Advance West Central Indiana PAC launches website and fundraising effort to support Question 1 on the November 5 General Election ballot
TERRE HAUTE, IN – Members of the local business community have formed a political action committee (PAC) to
advance a “Vote Yes” campaign for the casino referendum that will appear on the November 5 th general election
ballot. The PAC members include Chair John Collett, Treasurer Sara Smith and Co-Chair Brian Kooistra. The mission of
the PAC is to inform and mobilize voters based on the economic benefits of opening a casino in Vigo County.
Vigo County Clerk Brad Newman announced last week that the language designated by state legislation, “Shall inland
casino gambling be permitted in Vigo County?,” will appear as Question 1 on ballots countywide. This will essentially
be a special election for voters who live outside municipalities and typically do not have a voting role in municipal
election cycles. Additional voting centers will be available to make it easier for voters to participate in the election.
The Advance West Central Indiana PAC launched a website, www.CasinoTerreHaute.com, to encourage members of
the community to learn about and support the referendum campaign. The website allows supporters to sign up for
yard signs, register to volunteer and donate to the campaign efforts. It also showcases the overall economic benefits
a casino can bring to Terre Haute and the region. The benefits include up to 400 new jobs and a variety of gaming
and tourism revenue streams which will support additional economic development, infrastructure improvements and
enhanced quality of life projects within the community.
“I wanted to do something meaningful for the people I have the opportunity to work with every day. Projects of this
magnitude not only offer full-time positions but also elevate the trades in our community, offering work in our
backyard. This campaign is more than a casino to me. It’s helping Terre Haute and the region grow in a way that lifts
everyone,” said Advance West Central Indiana PAC Chair John Collett.
“The campaign is based on three major themes,” stated PAC Treasurer Sara Smith. “It’s about educating the voter
base, helping them understand the short term and long term benefits a casino can bring to a community and
impacting positive change for the future. This is our opportunity to attract critical resources to strengthen the entire
community.”
PAC Secretary Brian Kooistra concluded, “The fact that we had to battle other casino communities so hard at the
statehouse in order for us to bring a casino to Terre Haute was incredibly telling – casinos are an important asset that
communities will fight vigorously to protect. It was clear those casinos were a valuable resource for their local
communities. I want that for Terre Haute too.”
PAC members encourage Vigo County residents to visit casinoterrehaute.com and sign up to support the campaign.
