Thursday, 6 March 2008
Casino Bill Is Dead
« Democratic Presidential Primary | Main | Unions Rally to Lunsford? »Yesterday the Herald Leader ran a story on the vote count for the casino measure in the house. It looks bleak for Beshear and Democrats.
Even as House Speaker Jody Richards and Gov. Steve Beshear expressed optimism about rounding up the necessary 60 votes to pass a casino bill, a Herald-Leader survey of the 99 House members showed it had a long way to go.
Just 37 House members said that they plan to support the current version of the constitutional amendment that would allow casinos. Twelve others told the Herald-Leader they were undecided and five wouldn't reveal their positions.
Perhaps more concerning for advocates of the proposal, such as Richards and Beshear, is that 44 of the 99 current House members said they're likely to vote against the draft of the constitutional amendment that's pending before the lower chamber.
37 are for the amendment. 44 are against it. And 18 don't know how they are going to vote. The house needs 60 for the measure to pass. The numbers just aren't there. Sen Williams was right, the casino amendment won't make it through the house.
While I am sure the papers are going to continue to cover this issue and Beshear and company are going to continue twisting arms, they won't get it done. The issue is dead for this session. Meanwhile, Beshear continues to be AWOL on the pressing issues facing our state.
