ELECTION SPENDING REPORTED

JACKSON - With another report expected to be on file later today, the Boyd Group has spent $16,472.46 to promote the June 8 vote in Cape Girardeau on whether to allow riverboat gambling.

The Boyd Group, which has four casino operations in Las Vegas, has expressed a strong interest in locating a riverboat in Cape Girardeau if citizens approve riverboat gambling. They are providing all of the funding so far for the campaign in favor of the issue.

On May 18, Southern Research Group, based in Jackson, Miss., sent a letter to the county clerk's office listing expenditures that they had made on behalf of the Boyd Group.

Another report, due seven days before the election, was mailed Tuesday and was expected to arrive in the clerk's office today.

Citizens Against Riverboat Gambling, which filed a committee organization report on April 7, filed a report for the period 40 days before the election on April 28 indicating they had limited activity. That meant they had not spent or raised more than $1,000.

However, in complying with the seven-day report, committee treasurer Woody Woodfin filed the more detailed report, listing receipts of about $3,900 and expenditures of almost $3,800.

The three largest contributors to the committee were Mike Wulfers, Ron Robinson, and Keith Deimund, all of Cape Girardeau, who gave $500 each. John Eaton and Dr. Robert Ward contributed $200 each.

The remaining donations to the committee were amounts of $100 or less.

Committee expenditures so far have been for signs, printing flyers, and radio advertisements.

Southern Research indicated that its largest expenditure on behalf of the Boyd Group was $7,915 for television ads on KFVS-TV.

The company also paid about $3,200 to a Jackson, Miss. firm for printing flyers and direct mail; $2,600 for motels and meals in Cape Girardeau for employees who are working on the campaign; $1,400 for air fares; and about $900 in car rentals.

In a letter to Cape Girardeau County Clerk Rodney Miller, the county's chief election official, representatives of Southern Research indicated they had contracted with the Boyd Group to provide a variety of services.

Those services include conducting: a bench mark poll survey; a voter I.D. survey; a get-out-the-vote survey; a voter tracking survey; all advertising and direct mail; and professional consulting services.