Ky. gov uses weekly address to promote gambling

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Gov. Steve Beshear used his weekly Internet chat Friday to promote his proposal to legalize casinos in Kentucky.

The second-term Democrat has been posting weekly commentaries to YouTube throughout his tenure. Typically, he has steered clear of hot-button issues under debate in the Legislature.

But Beshear used the latest address to lay out his argument for changing Kentucky's Constitution to allow casinos. He said resident are taking their money to casinos in neighboring states, and that if Kentucky had its own casinos, that money could be kept here.

Gambling opponents have been working feverishly to try to defeat the governor's proposal that could be voted on by a Senate committee next Wednesday.

Beshear has touted gambling as a way to generate additional money for the state budget by allowing casinos to open and then taxing their revenue.

"The proposed state budget is bleak, thanks to a sagging national economy and slow-to-recover state revenues," Beshear said. "Painful cuts are being made across state government. We run a real risk of taking steps backward in areas like education, public protection, and job creation. And until our state generates more revenue, we will always fall behind."

Martin Cothran, spokesman for The Family Foundation, took exception to Beshear's explanation of the process for amending the Constitution. He said any amendment "shall be agreed to" by the General Assembly. He also took exception to the governor's proposal specifying that most of the proposed casinos would be built at horse tracks, executives of which contributed to his re-election campaign last year.

"This governor clearly has little respect for the Constitution," Cothran charged. "If he did he wouldn't be trying to engrave the names of campaign contributors on it and he wouldn't be misrepresenting the amendment ratification process."

The governor's weekly address, which typically gets replayed on some radio stations around the state, promotes the idea of allowing Kentucky voters to decide whether to amend the Constitution. In Kentucky, lawmakers would have to give their approval for the constitutional amendment. Then it would be placed on the November ballot to be ratified or rejected by voters.

"Potential tax revenues are leaving our state to be spent on gaming in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and elsewhere," Beshear said. "This money funds their schools, their libraries, their police departments, and other improvements. It makes no sense to continue watching that happen. "

The governor's Internet chat was clearly intended to motivate Kentucky residents to ask their lawmakers to pass the legislation.

"Opponents of expanded gaming should not deny their fellow citizens the right to vote on this issue," he said. "Kentuckians deserve the chance to have their votes counted in this decision."