Casino news from http://www.kentucky.com/
OWENSBORO, Ky. - A western Kentucky legislator is pushing a pre-filed bill that would open Kentucky to casino gambling, even though a horse industry advocacy group says the measure will not be a priority for them.
Sen. David Boswell, D-Sorgho, said he will push the measure, which would open Kentucky to as many as nine casinos, even without the active backing of the Lexington-based Kentucky Equine Education Project.
"They can either help, or they can get out of the way," Boswell said. "As long as they don't fight it, that's the main thing."
The measures would create the Kentucky Gaming Commission and enable it to issue up to nine casino licenses, with five going to horse race tracks and four going to nontrack sites.
Rep. Denver Butler, D-Louisville, pre-filed a similar bill in the House, even though he is not seeking re-election. Butler said he hopes another legislator will file the bill once the session starts.
The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Jon Draud, Dennis Horlander, Dennis Keene, Charlie Miller and Ron Weston, who are all from Louisville or northern Kentucky. Weston is the only one facing opposition in November's elections.
Butler said House leaders made a mistake in not brining the issue of casino gambling to a vote during the legislative session last spring.
"If leadership will ever get off their duff and face reality, (the bill) has a chance," Butler said. "It scares the daylights out of them."
House Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, declined to comment on casino gambling or the legislation, his spokesman, John McGary, said.
Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, has said he opposes casino gambling. Gov. Ernie Fletcher has said he personally opposes casino gambling but has declined to say if voters should decide the issue.
Fletcher spokeswoman Jodi Whitaker said the governor's stance on the issue has not changed since the legislative session.
KEEP Interim Executive Director Gene Clabes said casino gambling would be a secondary concern for the organization, behind a repeal of sales taxes on feeding equipment for horses.
The legislature will meet for only 30 days and there are other, higher priority issues to tackle, Clabes said.
"At this point, during a short session, it doesn't seem feasible," Clabes said.
Before and during the 2006 session, KEEP spent thousands of dollars on advertisements pushing for a vote on a constitutional amendment to allow casino gambling in Kentucky.
Boswell said the short session shouldn't deter a vote on casino gambling constitutional amendment by voters. Boswell said a 35 percent tax on casinos could bring more than $400 million to Kentucky - money that will be lost to a new casino opening in French Lick, Ind.
"The issue's already out there. The voters are already very well-informed of the revenue we're losing and the economic development opportunities we're losing," Boswell said.
Constitutional amendments can only be put to voters during even-numbered election years, which means the earliest the legislation could be enacted would be after November 2008.
The next time a constitutional amendment could appear on the ballot is 2008, but Boswell said waiting until the 2007 gubernatorial race to debate the issue is too late.
"I don't think we need to wait until the next governor's race to consider this issue," Boswell said.
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