Bill to open some family courts; tax online horse wagers passes House

By Beth Musgrave

bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — A measure that would allow for a pilot project to open some family courts passed the House unanimously Friday.

House Bill 239 would allow for the creation of pilot projects to open family courts, which hear child abuse, neglect and dependency cases. The pilot projects, to be started on a voluntary basis by family court judges, would run for four years and would set limits on what information can be released from the hearings. The measure passed the House Judiciary Committee earlier this week 12-0. It had no opposing votes Friday. A similar measure passed the House in 2010 but was not heard in the Senate.

The House also passed House Bill 229, which would impose a .05 percent tax on bets placed at Kentucky race tracks either by phone or online. There currently is a tax on bets placed at Kentucky race tracks but not on electronic betting. Part of the tax would go back to the state, some would go back to the racetracks and another portion would go to purses for Kentucky races. Advanced deposit wagering is the fastest-growing segment of the horse-wagering market, its sponsors say. House Bill 229 passed with 15 people registering “no” votes.  House Bill 229 was placed on the consent calendar, which allows bills with no opposition in committee to be voted on at once. There is no final tally for each bill, only the number of legislators who vote against the measure.

Also on Friday, the House passed a measure that would begin a committee to develop an Iraq/Afghanistan War memorial, to honor Kentuckians who were killed in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The measure does not include any appropriations but would allow for a committee to determine which public agency would oversee the construction, maintenance and upkeep of the memorial. House Bill 256 also establishes a fund for the war memorial. The measure passed the House unanimously.

Filed Under: Featured • KY Courts • KY General Assembly • Social Services • State Government