Coalition Presses For Casino Gambling

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear has been pushing for expanded gambling opportunities in Kentucky for the past five years, saying Kentuckians are wagering hundreds of millions of dollars in casinos in neighboring states, and, if Kentucky legalized casinos, that money could be kept in the state. Thursday, a coalition of business, labor and education groups pressed state lawmakers to approve a constitutional amendment that, if ratified by voters, would legalize casinos in Kentucky. David Adkisson, president of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, said, "Year after year, our members overwhelmingly support expanded gaming and the citizens' right to vote. We believe it is time to finally put the issue on the ballot." Republican activist Larry Forgy, a former state budget director and two-time gubernatorial candidate and a staunch casino opponent, lambasted the Chamber of Commerce for taking sides on gambling, which he considers a moral issue. Forgy insists that opening Kentucky to casino gambling won't solve the state's financial problems.