By Lisa Autry
Frankfort, KY – Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear says he did not renege on a campaign promise during the recent special legislative session. Critics of expanded gambling cite Beshear's promise to allow the citizens to vote on whether to amend the state constitution. But Beshear says the form of gambling he supported in the special session didn't require a constitutional amendment, and therefore, he broke no promises.
That's a very limited kind of expansion of gaming it's only at places where they're already betting on horses, and the Attorney General issued an opinion that said the legislature could pass that without resorting to a constitutional amendment.
Although his gambling proposal passed the house, Beshear accuses the Senate of "turning its back" on 100-thousand people who work in the horse industry. Beshear expects expanded gambling to be back on the agenda when lawmakers meet in regular session in January, though he's not sure if he'll push for slot machines at horse tracks only or push for a larger expansion of gambling at free-standing locations.