Published: November 05, 2009 09:09 am      

Lawmakers react to Ohio casino vote

FRANKFORT — If gambling enthusiasts could guess the outcome of waters as predictably as Kentucky political leaders react to questions about expanded gambling, a lot of them would be on easy street.

Gov. Steve Beshear, Senate Minority Leader Ed Worley, D-Richmond, and House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, saw Ohio voters’ approval of a referendum to allow four metropolitan casinos — including one in Cincinnati across the Ohio River from northern Kentucky’s Turfway racetrack — as a threat to horse racing in Kentucky.

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, saw the vote as detrimental to slots at Kentucky horse tracks.

“If one of the locations for a full casino is downtown Cincinnati, then it will detrimentally affect the feasibility of doing slot machines at Turfway,” Williams said. “I think that pretty much ends any real feasibility of slot machines at Turfway.

The Democrats saw the vote — which allows casinos in Cincinnati, Toledo, Columbus and Cleveland — as a threat to Turfway, but they have a different solution.

Worley said the Ohio vote could mean the end of horse racing in Kentucky, but said lawmakers need to move to pass a bill to allow video lottery terminals at the tracks. That bill passed the House in this summer’s special session, but failed in the Senate.

Since then, Beshear has appointed two Republican senators to high paying jobs, replacing one with a Democrat in a special election. He hopes to do the same in December when another special election will fill the seat vacated by Republican Dan Kelly.

Beshear saw the results across the river as a signal that time is running out.

“Clearly, the time to act on expanded gaming is now,” Beshear said. “Ohio citizens are going to reap the benefits of thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue. Ohio’s decision reinforces the urgency to pass the video lottery terminal bill I proposed earlier this year. Time is of the essence, and we can’t afford to wait any longer.”

Williams called on Beshear to fulfill a pledge during the 2007 gubernatorial campaign to put the issue of expanded gambling to a vote by the people. Beshear proposed such an amendment in the 2008 General Assembly, but it never got a vote in either chamber. He now says an amendment process would take too long to save the horse industry.

“If he really wants to live up to his campaign commitment and his promise to support a constitutional amendment in the House and in the Senate to put this issue on the ballot,” Williams said.

Williams has proposed an amendment for next fall which would require any expansion of gambling to be approved by voters through a constitutional amendment, claiming that will reduce or eliminate the ability of gambling interests to pressure lawmakers in frequent statutory changes to benefit gambling interests. Fellow Republican Sen. Damon Thayer of Georgetown has also proposed an amendment to allow slots in counties where race tracks are located but it would also require a local option vote in each county even if the original amendment passes statewide.

Stumbo has said he will not support an amendment and while he was Attorney General, he issued an opinion that an amendment is not required. While there are two previous AG opinions saying an amendment is necessary, current AG Jack Conway issued one last spring agreeing with Stumbo.

The Speaker said Wednesday the Ohio vote shows “the urgency for our state to act” on expanded gambling. Stumbo sponsored the bill in the House in the regular session and again in the special session.

He said he is likely to file it again.

“There’s no reason not to file it,” Stumbo said. “Now whether we’ll be moving it or not — it would be an almost useless gesture depending on the outcome in the Senate.”

Democrats have claimed there are 20 votes to pass the measure in the Senate if it gets to the floor for a vote. Williams said there are not that many votes and never have been, adding if there were, supporters could have forced the measure on the floor by way of a discharge petition.

Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. He may be contacted by e-mail at rellis@cnhi.com. The Richmond Register is a CNHI newspaper.