By T. D. Thornton
Two Louisville senators proposed a constitutional amendment to expand gambling in Kentucky on Tuesday. The bipartisan measure, which is considered a long shot to pass, would dedicate 90 percent of revenues in the first ten years of new casino operations to fund the state's in-the-red public pension system, while the other ten percent would be earmarked for horse racing purses.
Senators Morgan McGarvey, a Democrat, and Julie Raque Adams, a Republican, unveiled the idea at a news conference at the state capitol annex in Frankfort. Officials from Greater Louisville Inc., the Louisville metro chamber of commerce, were on hand to support the amendment.
“When it comes to gaming, reasonable minds can differ, but gaming is already here. Eighty percent of Kentuckians live within an hour of a casino,” McGarvey was quoted in the Louisville Courier-Journal. “We just have to choose if we want to benefit from it.”
A constitutional amendment in Kentucky requires a three-fifths majority of members of the House and Senate to pass, and then the referendum must also pass on a statewide election ballot in November.
The Courier-Journal noted that similar expanded gambling measures failed in the past eight years when backed by former Governor Steve Beshear, and that the new gambling amendment is opposed by Governor Matt Bevin.
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