{Frankfort, Kentucky}...State Senator Damon Thayer is expected to file a casino gambling bill in coming days. Governor Steve Beshear said Monday he believes there are 23 senators who would vote for offering a constitutional amendment on casinos, but he stopped short of saying his plan will pass the Republican-majority Senate. A leading opposition group, the Family Foundation of Kentucky, has said the casino bill would be dead if not filed by last week. On Monday, it called on Beshear to identify people working on the plan with him. Friday, Senate President David Williams, who opposes expanding gambling in Kentucky, said the votes could be there to approve a casino amendment in the Senate but it depended on the wording. Williams says, if there is an attempt to give monopolies to private companies (referring to racetracks) because they have certain licenses or any attempt to earmark casino revenues, it would probably face difficulties passing in the Senate.
