{Frankfort, Kentucky}...During a rally in Frankfort Tuesday, Catholic bishops in Kentucky issued a stern warning about the potential consequences if lawmakers approve a proposal to legalize casinos. The Rev. Patrick Delahanty, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, distributed a letter to state senators detailing the unanimous concerns of the state's four bishops who represent some 400,000 parishioners in the state. The letter was on behalf of Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Bishop Roger J. Foys of Covington, Bishop Ronald W. Gainer of Lexington and Bishop William F. Medley of Owensboro. Gambling opponents, including the Kentucky Council of Churches and the Kentucky Baptist Convention, have been working to try to defeat Governor Steve Beshear's proposal for a constitutional amendment that would allow up to seven casinos to open in the state. The proposal is tentatively scheduled for a vote Wednesday in the Senate Committee on State and Local Government.
