News |
Variety in the Heartland |
Gambling Bill On Hold
02/05/12 MRC/LHL
Governor Steve Beshear said his gambling bill is ready but won't be introduced until redistricting is settled, which could be this week but might not happen for months.
The governor originally said a potential constitutional amendment to allow casino gambling would be introduced in the first days of the legislative session in January, but it has been delayed continually, first by a bitter battle over redrawing legislative districts and now by a lawsuit over the new districts.
Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd is scheduled to hear evidence Monday from House Republicans who contend the new boundaries are unconstitutional. State Senator Kathy Stein, a Democrat who had been Lexington's senator until the new plan moved her seat to northeastern Kentucky, has joined the suit. Shepherd postponed the filing deadline for potential candidates until Tuesday.
Beshear said Thursday that the bill would be introduced "at a time when our supporters and I can agree that it's time to hit the ground running."
He would not discuss any details of the bill. He has said that any move to allow casino gambling should include Kentucky's racetracks, but some lawmakers argue that it would create a lucrative monopoly for one industry.
|
|
