Slots pass KY House; Williams making Senate vote dubious

[Kasept]

Slots bill passes Ky. House, but Senate may kill it
By Matt Hegarty

The Kentucky House of Representatives on Friday narrowly approved a bill that would legalize slot machines at the state's racetracks, but the leader of the Senate has said that he will not allow the legislation to get a hearing or vote on the Senate floor.

The House voted 52 to 45 to approve the bill, which needed 51 votes to pass. Supporters of the bill have spent the past several days lobbying undecided representatives, and the sponsor of the bill, House speaker Greg Stumbo, a Democrat, attached earmarks that would dedicate a portion of the state's proceeds from slot machines to the construction of schools in order to induce support.

The House vote, though, may be largely symbolic, because Sen. David Williams, the president of the Senate, said on Thursday that the Senate will not take up the legislation because it lacks the votes to pass. On Friday, Williams introduced a separate measure to the Senate's budget committee that would tax lottery ticket sales and direct the revenues to subsidies for purses at Kentucky tracks.

The Kentucky legislature is currently in a special session called by Gov. Steve Beshear to address an estimated $1 billion shortfall in the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. Though Democrats have said that the special session may stretch into next week, Williams said on Thursday that he wanted the Senate to adjourn at the close of business Friday.