Kentucky’s wait for legalized casino gambling will go on a little longer as a battle over redistricting rolls on. Governor Steve Beshear hoped to get the bill off the ground ASAP and has now conceded that he’ll have to wait longer than the “few days” he hoped.
“We’re going to have to wait and see what happens Monday or Tuesday with the court situation to be able to plan a future strategy,” Beshear said. “… We’re going to work with them. … We’ve got a lot of time left in the session.”
Monday will see a case challenging the redistricting heard by Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd. If the judge throws out the Beshear-approved plan, the Governor admitted “it may postpone it for a little while.” Already 21 days into the 60-day session there will be some that question the merits of persisting with the casino legislation. This isn’t something that Beshear has even giving a second thought to.
“An issue like this, it’s not going to take much education of people,” he said. “Everybody knows what the issue’s about. … It can be passed one way or the other in very short order.”
The issue is a sticky one in the home of fried chicken. Only last week the Guv’nor accused the Senate prez of intimidating other senators into shelving the bill and it was then he told press the proposal would be released “in the next few days.”
Amending the state’s constitution will require a three-fifths majority of both the House and Senate before the public get to vote in November. Like many other states, Kentucky is one that’s hoping to fill the tax deficit with a bit of good ole- fashioned casino gambling. All signs point to Beshear getting his casino business bill to home plate. It’s just a question of when that’ll be.
