"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" - Dr. Edmund Burke

The Blog

Rally in Frankfort on April 12: “Eight is Enough!”

By On April 5, 2012 In Ordered Liberty With No Comments Permanent Link to Rally in Frankfort on April 12: “Eight is Enough!”Permalink

THE last day of the 2012 Session is NEXT Thursday, April 12. It is the “Veto-Override” day that is saved for the legislature so they can reconsider anything the Governor vetoed this past week (and possibly override his veto if they deem that necessary).

One Last Pro-Life Bill survives: Senate Bill 102 – The Face-to-Face Consultation Legislation – has been attached to Rep. Bob Damron’s House Bill 274 in the Senate and was sent back to the House for concurrence last week . . . but it WAS NOT HEARD on the House Floor last week when the “regular days” of the 2012 Session ended.

It just needs one more vote (the concurrence vote) on the House Floor and it will become law!

THEREFORE, all kinds of organizations are coming together to ask that Kentucky citizens come to Frankfort and meet in the Rotunda at 9:30 AM Thursday morning, April 12. We will thank Senators for their passage of the bill, we will explain how it could easily become law next Thursday and we will meet members of the House and BE SEEN by members of the House so they know WE WANT THIS BILL! If we can get enough people there on what is normally a “quiet” day of the General Assembly, it will force the legislators to take note that Kentucky citizens WANT pro-life legislation.

Why the “Eight is Enough” slogan? Because this is the EIGHTH Session in a row – eight years! – that the Leadership of the House of Representatives has not allowed a vote on the House Floor on any pro-life bill. Eight years is ENOUGH!!! April 12 is the day that the bill-killing streak should end!

The gathering will be peaceful and informative . . . and we believe effective. Legislators will go home either having passed this piece of pro-life legislation, or they will go home to face elections this Fall with having failed again (and everyone in the state knowing that “Eight WAS Enough”).

Please come to the Rotunda at 9:30 AM next Thursday – April 12. Please bring others – remember family members. This will be a solemn assembly of the Body of Christ for one unifying purpose – protecting life through appropriate legislation. We will be done by noon but you may want to stay over and watch what the House does from the gallery starting at noon.

Instant Racing Update

By On March 21, 2012 In Casino Gambling, Ordered Liberty With No Comments Permanent Link to Instant Racing UpdatePermalink

[scribd id=86205838 key=key-1jhrs26buosdylj9k95q mode=list]

Illinois, Slots, & Pay to Not Play

By On March 21, 2012 In Casino Gambling With No Comments Permanent Link to Illinois, Slots, & Pay to Not PlayPermalink

In July, 2009 Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill that allowed bars and other businesses to place up to five video gambling machines in their business.  There was a clause in the bill that allowed communities to pass ordinances prohibiting the machines.

By now Illinois has a 30+ year history with casinos and slot machines.  The damage to citizens is so obvious that for two years a bill to massively expand gambling venues has stalled in the legislature under the threat of a governor’s veto.  But this video machine bill slipped through in 2009.

What is amazing is that 77 communities and four counties have passed ordinances prohibiting the machines.  This is amazing because places not accepting the machines are ridiculed.  And they have to pay to not have the machines.  Five percent of the take from the machines goes to the community or county.  You prohibit the machines, you lose revenue.

While Illinois has a reputation for corruption, with three recent governors sent to prison, there are some courageous local politicians willing to take abuse and lose revenue to protect their families from the evil effects of addiction.  Bless them.

(Bob Susnjara, “Gurnee goes through with video ban,” Daily Herald, February 20, 2012)

A response to novelist Silas House on the faux “bullying bill”

By On March 20, 2012 In Bullying, Ordered Liberty With No Comments Permanent Link to A response to novelist Silas House on the faux “bullying bill”Permalink

From Martin Cothran’s blog:

Novelist Silas House complains about legislators on a State House committee who voted down the so-called “bullying bill” (HB 336) on the grounds that the bullying law passed in 2008 already protects all students.

House says the “logic” of these legislators “falls short.” Laws that protect everyone, he argues, don’t protect everyone and so what we need to do is to specify who everyone is. Only then will everyone be protected.

Apparently it’s just too hard for our school officials to figure out who “everyone” is.

In reality, HB 336 was a cynical attempt by a political group to use the tragedies of several students to promote their own political agenda. If groups like the Fairness Campaign want to pursue laws that benefit their constituency, they should do it with a law that’s properly labeled, not one that masquerades as something that it isn’t.

If current laws that already prohibit bulling aren’t enough, then why is one gay rights group going to schools around the state saying that current laws are enough to deal with this problem and asking schools to do so?

The chairman of the House committee refused to hear testimony from opponents of the bill and after it was voted down anyway, the leader of the Fairness Campaign made a spectacle of himself in the Capitol Annex hallway by engaging in the same threatening and intimidating behavior the bill he was supporting prohibits.

But maybe House didn’t know about these things, since the CJ didn’t report them.

Should we specify who should be protected from murder and stealing by listing all the different types of people who shouldn’t be murdered and stolen from?

That may make logical sense to House, but to us it clearly “falls short.”

Bloodhorse.com’s Problem with Logic

By On March 16, 2012 In Casino Gambling, Ordered Liberty With No Comments Permanent Link to Bloodhorse.com’s Problem with LogicPermalink

A post at bloodhorse.com insinuates that The Family Foundation is being hypocritical in pushing for a Religious Liberty amendment to the Kentucky Constitution because we successfully lobbied against the push for a statement amendment to the Constitution that would expand gambling.

The author writes:

During testimony before a Kentucky Senate committee on a constitutional amendment on casino gambling, the anti-gambling Family Foundation of Kentucky argued Kentucky isn’t a referendum state. A few weeks later the public policy group pushed a constitutional amendment through another Senate committee on protecting religious freedom, which is already protected in the state and United States constitutions. … So what it is, guys? A referendum state or not a referendum state? … By the way, this flip-flop received no media coverage.

There’s a simple rationale that explains our push for an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution and refutes the accusation of hypocrisy against The Family Foundation: We have not been on the record–anywhere–insisting that the Senate should bypass its legislative duties and “Let the People Decide” on the issue of protecting religious liberty. Unlike the supporters of the gambling amendment, who wanted to unconstitutionally bypass the legislature’s role in the amendment process, and in contrast to the deception pushed by the Governor’s Office and the confusion peddled by Bloodhorse.com, we actually believe that the Kentucky legislature reserves the right to properly vet  legislation as good or bad public policy. The legislature isn’t a simple mechanism designed to punt legislation down to the voters. So, to answer your question, Kentucky is not a referendum state and we have never insisted that it was. We are a ratification state and insist that the Kentucky legislature ought to do it’s duty and scrutinize the legislation of SB 158, the Religious Liberty Restoration Amendment. If the legislature first believes it to be sound public policy, Kentuckians will get to accept or reject the legislature’s prior decision. And we’re fine with that.

Before making the accusation of hypocrisy, we’d encourage the writers at Bloodhourse.com to take a class in elementary logic. It’ll help them make important distinctions that they’re apparently incapable of making at present. Or, in the least, become familiar with the Kentucky Constitution.

CHURCHILL DOWNS

By On March 16, 2012 In Casino Gambling With No Comments Permanent Link to CHURCHILL DOWNSPermalink

Recent public announcements by Churchill Downs chairman, Robert L. Evans, leave no doubt that Churchill is no longer really interested in horse racing, but is a huge casino conglomerate.  Evans makes clear that horse racing is a losing proposition, except for Derby and Oaks week.  Churchill and Arlington Park are losing entities the rest of the time.

Over the last seven years live racing has become unprofitable, so Churchill has unloaded three of its seven tracks and bought casinos.  As a result it had the most profitable year ever.  The Corporation clearly does not need to impoverish Kentucky to be profitable.

While trying to pin the failure of slots in the legislature on David Williams, he fails to mention the many enemies the arrogance of Churchill has made in the Legislature and among the people.  While he mentions the 87% who want to vote on casinos, he does not mention that half do not want them.

Besides casinos in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana, dominance in online gambling through TwinSpires.com, Churchill is developing a harness track and casino in Ohio, has acquired Bluff.com with associated websites and publications and is ready to enter the online gambling fray, and promotion of “futures” bets, bets placed well in advance of the actual race.  Most handicappers call these sucker bets.

Two years ago I suggested that we would soon have just a few stellar races at a few tracks each year.  The end of racing is coming faster than I predicted.  In a very few years the only racing bets available will be on “historic races,” that is on film clips, or online betting on races in distant countries.

( some data from Janet Patton, “Out-of-State casinos buoy Churchill,” Lexington Herald-Leader, March 14, 2012, p. A-1)

Press Release: Family group applauds passage of Religious Freedom Amendment

By On March 16, 2012 In Ordered Liberty, Press Release With No Comments Permanent Link to Press Release: Family group applauds passage of Religious Freedom AmendmentPermalink

For Immediate Release
March 15, 2012
Contact: Martin Cothran

Phone: (859) 329-1919

LEXINGTON, KY—The Family Foundation applauded the passage today of SB 158, The Religious Freedom Amendment, in the State Senate with a 34-4 vote. The action came on the same day as oral arguments were heard in the Kentucky Supreme Court on a religious freedom case involving the state requirement that the Amish place orange triangles on their buggies.

“The passage of this bill could not have come at a better time,” said Martin Cothran, spokesman for the group. “The legislature may succeed in preventing the state from putting Amish men on the chain gang, but the legislature shouldn’t have had to deal with this issue in the first place. If we re-established the compelling interest standard that was in place before a 1990 U. S. Supreme Court decision that made it harder to violate the free exercise of religion, as SB 158 does, we probably wouldn’t have this problem.” Cothran pointed out the irony that one of the justices lamented that the state did not have a “compelling interest test” in today’s court session.

Cothran said the amendment increases the level of scrutiny on anyone who tries to impinge on the First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion. “This bill doesn’t do anything new. It just re-establishes the old standard. It says that just because a law is generally applicable, it doesn’t automatically trump a person’s free exercise rights.”

Cothran said he hopes the State House will give the bill a fair hearing.

Bullying Bill supporter harasses opponent in Capitol Annex hallway

By On March 13, 2012 In Press Release With 1 Comment Permanent Link to Bullying Bill supporter harasses opponent in Capitol Annex hallwayPermalink

For Immediate Release
March 13, 2012
Contact: Martin Cothran

Phone: (859) 329-1919

LEXINGTON, KY—The leading supporter of the so-called “Bullying Bill” became verbally and physically abusive in a Capitol Annex hallway with an opponent of the bill after the bill went down to defeat in a House committee, attracting the attention of State Police and other observers. The Family Foundation called on the Fairness Campaign to issue a public apology for the behavior of its director, Chris Hartman.

“If you are really opposed to bullying, the last thing you probably want to do is engage in it in plain sight after a meeting in which a bill prohibiting it was just discussed,” said Family Foundation spokesman Martin Cothran.

Hartman obstructed the path of Andrew Walker, who had lobbied the committee against the bill, harassing him as he was leaving the restroom after the meeting and began interrogating him in an intimidating way. Several minutes later, Hartman cornered Walker again and began verbally bullying him with charges of being opposed to student safety. After Walker and Alliance Defense Fund attorney Bryan Beauman began leaving to avoid the confrontation, Hartman began yelling threateningly to reporters and others standing in the hallway about his disenchantment with opponents of the “Bullying Bill.” ”If you want to know who killed this bill, there he is,” he said, pointing to Walker.

The incident occurred in front of the press and others who had just left the committee meeting. A state policeman began moving toward Hartman, but backed off when Walker began to leave. “These actions were all things that, had they occurred in a school, would have constituted bullying under the present school safety laws,” said Cothran. “It is just bizarre to see proponents of so-called bullying legislation using bullying tactics themselves in plain sight.”

Cothran said his group was looking into the possibility of filing a formal complaint over the incident.

Irony in Bullying Bill failure

By On March 13, 2012 In Ordered Liberty, Press Release With No Comments Permanent Link to Irony in Bullying Bill failurePermalink

For Immediate Release
March 13, 2012
Contact: Martin Cothran

Phone: (859) 329-1919

LEXINGTON, KY—The House Education Committee today voted down a bill which supporters called a “Bullying Bill” but which opponents argued was really a gay rights bill. The bill, HB 336, failed despite the fact that the chairman of the committee refused to hear opposing testimony.

Martin Cothran, spokesman for The Family Foundation, who had signed up to speak against the legislation, said that it was ironic that opponents of the bill, who have argued that it would silence students with traditional or religious views, were themselves silenced. “We didn’t even have to wait for people to be silenced by this bill,” said Cothran. “They were silenced in the very process of discussing it.”

Despite the unusual move by supporters of the bill, it failed 13-10, 15 votes being needed for passage. Republicans on the committee voted almost unanimously against the bill, with Democrats on the committee voting mostly for it. Several members were absent or passed.

The bill designated special classes of students to be protected at school, one of these classes based on “sexual orientation.” “We believe that everyone should be protected at school,” said Cothran, “and we think that unless school safety laws apply to everyone, no matter who they are and why the bullying was done, they create second class citizens in the law.”

The Family Foundation had also argued that HB 91, passed in 2008, already protects students adequately, and that one third-party national group had given Kentucky’s current bullying laws an A++ rating.

NEW BILL: HB 468

By On March 1, 2012 In Casino Gambling, Ordered Liberty With No Comments Permanent Link to NEW BILL: HB 468Permalink

Efforts to get slots at the tracks in Kentucky did not go away long. A new bill, HB 468, has been proposed in the House, and sent to the Licensing and Occupations Committee.

This bill would place the casinos under the Lottery with a governing board of 12 members. It provides for video lottery machines (slots) but no table games. A twelve person governing board would manage it. Local option elections would have to be held. The counties with tracks would all be eligible with the possible exception of KY Downs. Three additional counties with large populations would also be eligible, although two of them are very close to tracks. There is no mention of the Constitution which prohibits gambling games other than pari-mutuel racing.

Given the history, the L & O Committee will probably report the bill favorably. With no budget bill and not too many remaining days, the House may not take up this bill, but you never know. You wonder if the tracks are not losing friends with the never ending efforts to gain “welfare for the wealthy,” as Martin Cothran describes it.

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →