Kentucky Gambling Opponents Lay Odds Against Casino Bill's Survival
by Ed Thomas
March 20, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Pro-family leaders are taking a bill that passed out of a House Committee of the Kentucky Legislature as a sign that getting casino gambling legalized during this year's legislative session is looking highly unlikely. Kent Ostrander, director of the Family Foundation of Kentucky, says the bill that came out of the House Licensing and Operations Committee was pushed out by the chairman largely out of frustration. The primary cause of that frustration, he explains, is a disagreement between the horse industry lobby and the casino lobby, over where casino gambling would be located.
Although the gambling bill passed out of committee, Ostrander says it has so little support from any of the parties involved that it is not likely to be called for consideration in this, the last week of the session. Nevertheless, he and other opponents of the legislation feel a little pressure from the voters could not hurt.
"We believe this bill is dead and, at the same time, we're still encouraging folks to go ahead and call and leave a message with their legislators saying, 'No casinos -- no way, no how,'" the Family Foundation spokesman says. He notes that the Speaker of the House has indicated he will set the bill aside and reassign it to a committee that considers constitutional amendments.
This is good news, Ostrander points out, since many of the members of that committee are reportedly anti-gambling. "So, with the speaker setting [the bill] aside," he says, "and with it being placed in a good committee for those of us who disagree with casinos, we're extremely optimistic."
The casino legislation calls for placement of the proposal to advance legalized gambling in Kentucky on the November ballot. However, Ostrander asserts, "That was such a bad bill that nobody can support it."
The pro-family leader contends that the casino measure was cleared by the committee as "a favor" to the chairman in his last day as such in the General Assembly because he is retiring this year; but opponents are fairly confident the bill is, in effect, dead. "We feel like we've cleared another hurdle, and there will be no casinos this year in Kentucky," he adds.
Still, Ostrander says calls from pro-family citizens opposing the measure should help to solidify the rumored intent of most House leaders, which is not to call the bill for a full House vote and instead to reassign it to another committee.
Ed Thomas, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
