Casino news source: Courier-Journal - http://www.courier-journal.com
Fletcher decides to fight casino amendment
Move is a change from earlier stand
By Joseph Gerth
jgerth@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
In a major change of position, Gov. Ernie Fletcher now says he will oppose efforts to amend the constitution to legalize casino gambling in Kentucky.
Fletcher, who is seeking re-election in November, has said for the past four years that while he personally opposes expanded gambling, he would stay out of the debate on any proposed constitutional amendment to legalize it.
Fletcher's Democratic opponent in the fall election, former Lt. Gov. Steve Beshear, has advocated casino gambling as a way to raise badly needed tax revenue for the state, and most of his spending priorities rely on additional revenue from gambling.
Marty Ryall, Fletcher's campaign manager, said in an interview that Beshear has made the governor's race a referendum on the issue.
"If they elect Steve Beshear, they're getting casino gambling. If they elect Ernie Fletcher, they're not getting casino gambling," he said. "So if he's re-elected, he will fight casino gambling whether it's in the legislature, or whether it's on the ballot, or any time it's coming up."
Ryall also maintains that since Fletcher views the November election as a referendum on the issue, his new stance doesn't mean he's backtracking on previous statements that voters should decide the question.
In an appearance in Northern Kentucky yesterday, Fletcher insisted that he had not changed his position.
"I've always said I've been against gambling personally," he said. "… This election is the people's referendum on gambling. He's for it. I'm against it."
'New position'
The Beshear campaign thinks differently.
"That is a completely new position," spokesman Robert Kellar said.
He said it's "another example of failed leadership … waiting until political expediency comes around for him to support anything. His leadership skills only come into play when pure partisan politics are involved."
Constitutional amendments must be approved by three-fifths of both houses of the legislature, and then by the voters in a referendum.
After being approved by the legislature, they do not go to the governor for his signature -- meaning he has no direct role in proposing amendments.
Ryall said he is certain that Fletcher has said in the past that he would oppose expanded gaming, but he couldn't cite specifics.
In an October 2005 interview with the Kentucky Gazette, Fletcher was quoted as saying: "I've said I would not stop that (gambling) from going forward. And, if it does move forward … I've said one thing, I need to make sure people get to vote on it."
He added that any gambling revenue should be used to strengthen the horse industry and for a handful of the state's most pressing issues.
"Those monies would be used for important things like education, health care, Medicaid, so that the monies would go and be dedicated to some very good causes," he said.
During the first gubernatorial debate this spring on Kentucky Educational Television, Fletcher said: "My position on gambling hasn't changed. It's not something I personally support. I said if the legislature passes it … we would allow that to go to a vote and let the public decide."
Welcome support
The Rev. Nancy Jo Kemper, executive director of the Kentucky Council of Churches and a spokeswoman for Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, said she welcomes Fletcher's support. But she questioned whether a governor's race is a good barometer of support for gambling.
She said the race is likely to be decided on a number of issues -- many of which have nothing to do with gambling.
The Kentucky Equine Education Project, which supports expanded gambling and earlier this week endorsed Beshear, said it was "disappointed" with Fletcher's new stance.
"KEEP has always believed that the people of Kentucky should decide whether to have expanded gaming in our state," said Patrick Neely, executive director of the group.
Beshear won the May 22 Democratic primary as the strongest supporter of casino gambling. He argued that it would generate $500 million in annual revenue -- money the state could use to beef up education, improve health care and increase spending on many other programs.
Without the added revenue, Beshear has said, Kentucky's economy and standard of living will remain stagnant.
He also has said that Kentucky should reclaim the money now being spent by its residents at casinos in other states, including Indiana.
Since the primary, Kentucky Republicans have become increasingly vocal in their opposition to casino gambling.
Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, recently wrote a column for Business Lexington, a business journal, opposing it. "The expansion of gaming in Kentucky is terrible public policy, and expanded gambling will affect the community and the body politic in ways that I believe will be irreparable," he wrote.
And last week Republican Party Chairman Steve Robertson gave the first indication on a Lexington television station that Fletcher would oppose gambling.
"I think Governor Fletcher's position has been clear. He personally opposes gambling and he'll work against it," Robertson said on WKYT's Kentucky Newsmakers.
He went on to say that gambling would be a "main thrust" of the campaign.
Robertson also sent an e-mail to Kentucky Republicans with anti-gambling talking points they can use when talking with voters and writing letters to the editor.
Reporter Joseph Gerth can be reached at (502) 582-4702. |
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