Politics playing big role in Kentucky casino proposals

After a day of political maneuvering and an initial setback Tuesday, a proposed casino plan in Kentucky appears to be gaining support—although the plan no longer guarantees racetracks will automatically receive a gaming license. Garnering the support of Democratic House Speaker Jody Richards, the revised bill provides for open competition for a possible nine licenses, which is now being opposed by the horse industry in the Bluegrass State.

“Why not put it up for grabs, so that everybody has a fair shot? Nobody has a problem with this except the (horse) industry,” Democratic State Representative Greg Stumbo was quoted as saying. “If they want to kill their own bill, I don’t think anybody’s going to cry.”

The secondary scenario began after a House Committee did not pass proposed casino legislation that would have guaranteed five of the nine gaming licenses go to racetracks, although it still provides that the tracks could have up to a possible five licenses. Richards then took one Democrat on the committee who had voted “no” off that committee and added two replacements who supported Richards’ version of the gaming bill.

“She didn’t vote with us and I want to get that bill out of committee,” Richards said of his replacing Rep. Dottie Sims with Rep. Tim Firkins and Rep. John Will Stacy. Sims had earlier stated she would vote for Richard’s version but then switched and voted for the proposal supported by the racetracks.

Calling her replacement akin to “communism,” Sims said, “The only thing I did wrong was I said I’d vote for the bill and I didn’t.”

Senate President David Williams, who has been vociferous in his opposition to any expanded gaming in the state, said he believes the Richards’ version will succeed in being approved by the House committee and that it will “be a casino bill and not a horse industry bill.”

Ivan Zabika, president of Citizens Against Expanded Gambling was quoted as saying at a news conference, “The current proposal is begging out-of-state casinos to buy Kentucky tracks. The horse industry has lost control of this issue.”

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