{Frankfort, Kentucky}...In his fifth State of the Commonwealth address, Governor Steve Beshear pushed for a constitutional amendment to allow expanded gambling and for overhauling the state's tax structure. Speaking before a joint session of the House and Senate in Frankfort Wednesday evening, Beshear told legislators that 10 rounds of budget cuts over the past four years have resulted in about $1.3 billion in cuts, and federal stimulus money used to plug holes is now gone, and he will not be asking for tax increases to balance the next budget. Beshear said spending cuts proposed in the upcoming two-year budget, which the legislature must approve in April, will likely be deep and painful. Beshear used the backdrop of the state's anemic financial health to make a case for expanded gambling. He said legislation will likely be introduced soon that would allow voters to decide the issue in November. He also called for reforming the state's tax code, saying the state has spent more money than it has collected in taxes and fees for more than a decade. Beshear will detail his plans for reforming the tax code in coming days.
