Courier Journal – Gov. Steve Beshear acknowledged Wednesday that the effort he supports to pass expanded gambling legislation in this year’s session is challenged, but added it’s not dead yet.
“I think it’s premature to say that it is dead at this point,” he said. “It is a work that is in progress.”
The Senate Republican majority caucus discussed the issue on Monday and decided not to move forward, with Sen. Dan Seum, R-Louisville and sponsor of the Senate Bill 33 casino amendment, saying he still lacked the 23 votes to pass the amendment in the 38-member Senate.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, said the issue needs to start in the House.
Beshear said he wasn’t discouraged by the GOP senators’ comments.
“I’m not discouraged, because I expect it to be an uphill climb, particularly in terms of getting the votes that are needed for a constitutional amendment in the Senate,” he said. “We’re going to keep working with Sen. Seum and others over there to see if we can put that together.”
Thayer, meanwhile, said House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, should use his own political capital to get the House to act — responding to Stumbo saying that Thayer wasn’t using the power of his office to sway senators.
Thayer said he has a different leadership style, but “the same thing applies to him. If he’s so much for gaming why doesn’t he expend a little political capital and push for it in his caucus instead of trying to blame it on the Senate just like he always does because people know that dog won’t hunt.”
