Beshear: ‘Plenty of time’ left to consider expanded gambling

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Gov. Steve Beshear said Wednesday he will wait “a few more days” to unveil his long-anticipated constitutional amendment to expand gambling because of the uncertainty of legislative redistricting.

“I think we still have plenty of time to address that issue after redistricting is settled,” Beshear said to reporters after a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda to honor Black History Month.

Beshear said last December that he will present in the 2012 General Assembly a constitutional amendment to expand gambling. Wednesday is the 24th day of the 60-day session that must end by April 15.

Redistricting, or the redrawing of boundaries for legislative and congressional districts, has largely paralyzed the law-making session. Lawmakers generally don’t like to act on controversial issues until they know who their opponents will be.

On Tuesday, Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd declared Kentucky’s newly-drawn legislative districts unconstitutional and ordered election officials to use previous district lines in this year’s state legislative elections.

The judge tossed out boundaries that lawmakers approved and Beshear signed into law last month. He also extended the filing deadline for legislative candidates to 4 p.m. Friday, which gives legislative leaders time to decide whether to appeal to the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Asked if the legislature will appeal Shepherd’s ruling, House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said Wednesday, “We are keeping our options open.”

Beshear said he should know more in the next two or three days on what is going to happen to redistricting.

He said the redistricting issue is “delaying a lot of significant issues that are on hold, not only the gambling amendment but a lot of other issues that are waiting to be considered.”

But, “We still have plenty of time to address significant bills,” the Democratic governor added.

Senate State and Local Government Chairman Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, said he has talked to Beshear since Shepherd’s ruling about the status of a gambling amendment.

“At this moment, I still think a controversial issue like that still needs to wait a little while longer,” said Thayer, who has said he may introduce the governor’s gambling proposal in the Senate.

“It’s clearly delayed but there is still plenty of time to deal with it,” Thayer said. “There’s no sense of rushing it out under current circumstances.”

Asked if he will wait to introduce it until redistricting is resolved, Thayer said, “Today, I think redistricting is looming so large over this session that a controversial issue like that is probably not going to help matters.

“I think we need to devote our time and energy to redistricting.”

Thayer was adamant in saying that the issue of expanded gambling is not dead.

“We still have about two-thirds of the session to go. It’s just delayed.”

Filed Under: Damon Thayer • KY General Assembly • Steve Beshear