FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A coalition of business, labor and education groups pressed state lawmakers Thursday to approve a constitutional amendment that, if ratified by voters, would legalize casinos in Kentucky.
"We have a very simple goal — let the people decide how to handle this issue of casino gaming," said David Adkisson, president of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. "Year after year, our members overwhelmingly support expanded gaming and the citizens' right to vote. We believe it is time to finally put the issue on the ballot."
Despite a long history of wagering on horse races, Kentucky's constitution frowns on casino-style gambling. And, in the Bible-belt state, many lawmakers have been reluctant to support the proposal, knowing they may face un-approving constituents in upcoming legislative elections.
Gov. Steve Beshear has been pushing for expanded gambling opportunities in Kentucky for the past five years, but has so far been unable to get lawmakers to go along with him. The second-term Democrat said Kentuckians now are wagering hundreds of millions of dollars in casinos in neighboring states. He said if Kentucky legalized casinos, that money could be kept in the state.
Republican activist Larry Forgy, a staunch casino opponent, lambasted the Chamber of Commerce for taking sides on gambling, which he considers a moral issue.
"I contend that there's a front seat in hell for the leadership of an organization that will propose a program that will impose gambling losses on a population that can't afford to buy a ham sandwich for lunch," Forgy said. "This is unconscionable."
Forgy, a former state budget director and two-time gubernatorial candidate, insists that opening Kentucky to casino gambling won't solve the state's financial problems.
"I intend to walk barefooted from one end of this state to the other to defeat this constitutional amendment if they put it on there," he said. "But I don't think they have the votes as it stands right now."
Despite heated debate, Beshear's gambling legislation hasn't even been filed yet. He is calling for about a half dozen casinos, most of them at horse tracks.
Kentucky State Building & Construction Trades Council director Larry Roberts said the proposed constitutional amendment has widespread support.
"Look around you," he said. "Those of us here today represent every corner of our state, all political parties, we are moderates and conservatives, business and labor unions, teachers and private citizens - and, though we may disagree on many other issues, and are not shy about expressing those disagreements, on this issue we agree 100 percent."
That coalition includes several longtime gambling proponents, but it also has a newcomer in the Kentucky Education Action Team, which represents respected education advocates such as the Kentucky Parent Teacher Association, Kentucky School Boards of Association and the Kentucky Association of School Councils.
Kentucky Education Action Team member Stu Silberman said schools need additional revenue, and, for that reason, members of the group voted to support the proposed gambling amendment.
"Invested wisely, we can build new schools, modernize existing schools and ensure that our children have the resources they need to learn and ultimately compete in a modern economy," Silberman said.
The Family Foundation, an anti-gambling advocacy group, questioned whether members of local PTAs and school councils in small towns across the state would agree with Silberman that gambling is an acceptable method of generating revenue.
"We would like to know whether the education groups that are now in support of gambling legislation are really representing their constituencies," said Family Foundation spokesman Martin Cothran. "Did they take a survey of their members? If they did, we've never heard about it. It would take a good dose of the New Math to conclude that this is really going to help the state."
He added: "Apparently these education groups are under the impression that the three Rs are Reading, 'Riting, and Roulette."
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