For Immediate Release
February 16, 2012
Contact: Martin Cothran
Phone: (859) 329-1919

LEXINGTON, KY—The Family Foundation said today that not only has Gov. Steve Beshear’s gambling bill lost majority support in the State Senate, but it may be in trouble in the committee to which it was assigned. “The support for this bill is crumbling so fast, it may not even make it out of committee,” said Martin Cothran, senior policy analyst for the group.

“The governor just got finished launching his casino bill, and in less than 24 hours it was already starting to look like the Voyage of the Damned.”

Cothran said even though the Senate State and Local Government Committee, where SB 151 has been assigned, is the most pro-gambling committee in the Senate, the governor’s bill is now hanging on by only one vote. “The bottom is falling out of the expanded gambling effort,” he said. “If this bill is in danger in this committee, then it’s even deader than we thought, and we thought it was pretty dead.”

Cothran noted that the bill, which the governor had weeks to get right, seems to have gotten it all wrong. “This was the best chance anyone has ever had to pass a casino bill,” he said. “And the governor blew it.”

For Immediate Release
February 15, 2012
Contact: Martin Cothran

Phone: (859) 329-1919

LEXINGTON, KY—The Family Foundation announced today that there is now majority opposition in the State Senate to the governor’s expanded gambling effort. ”After yesterday’s announcement by State Sen. Dan Seum that he is opposed to Gov. Steve Beshear’s gambling bill,” said Martin Cothran, the group’s spokesman, ”our count now shows majority opposition to the Governor’s plan of favors for fat cats.”

“Lawmakers are already voting on the governor’s gambling bill—with their feet.”

The bill needs 23 votes from among the 38 senators because it is a constitutional amendment. Cothran said the bill now has 18 votes at best, with 19 senators opposed or not in favor.

Cothran said the announcement of the specifics of the Governor’s legislation has only resulted in a loss of support. The bill parcels out five casino licenses for horse racing tracks and two licenses for stand-alone casinos. “The more lawmakers consider the wisdom of giving the governor’s campaign contributors the equivalent of orchestra seats in the state’s Constitution, the less they seem to support the idea.”

Cothran noted that the bill only had eight senate co-sponsors, and that only ten senators bothered to show up for yesterday’s press conference announcing the bill, SB 151. “If the governor has the 23 votes he’s claiming, where were they yesterday?”

For Immediate Release
February 14, 2012
Contact: Martin Cothran

Phone: (859) 329-1919

LEXINGTON, KY—The Family Foundation called the Governor’s casino bill an “abuse of the State Constitution” and said it was “not the bill Kentuckians were promised.” The comments came in response to today’s filing of the Governor’s casino gambling bill.

“This bill is an attempt by wealthy horse track owners and casino interests to buy their way into the Constitution like box seats at a ball game,” said Martin Cothran, spokesman for the group.

Cothran called the attempt to write a wealthy industry into the Constitution “unprecedented.” “This state has never amended its Constitution to favor one industry like this. This bill writes political favors for the Governor’s campaign contributors into the very words of the Constitution. The Constitution shouldn’t be used by politicians to reward their wealthy friends.”

Cothran also pointed out that the people of Kentucky were promised that the money lost by gamblers at slot machines would go to education, health care, public safety, and local government. “But this bill doesn’t include any of that. There are favors for fat cats, but no specific provisions for public programs. It just shows what money, power, and influence can accomplish.”

His group thinks the bill has little chance of passage in the State Senate, where Cothran said the bill has been steadily losing support over the last four weeks.

For Immediate Release
February 9, 2012
Contact: Martin Cothran

Phone: (859) 329-1919

LEXINGTON, KY—The Family Foundation called today’s press conference by business and education groups in support of gambling legislation “an occupation of the Capitol Rotunda by the 1 percent.” The group also said the organizations holding the pep rally all had a financial interest in expanded gambling. It also said that the effort was too little, too late to resurrect legislation it says has been dead for weeks.

Martin Cothran, spokesman for the group, said that groups that are supposed to represent business interests and organizations that pretend to support education were “throwing their constituencies under the bus.” “The only businesses this will help are casino corporations and wealthy horse track owners,” he said. “Small business will be victimized by casinos that suck all the economic oxygen out of local economies.”

Cothran pointed to the absence of lawmakers at the event as further evidence that the bill lacks support in the General Assembly. “Where were the 23 senators the Governor claims support his bill? We didn’t see them today. We counted at most two lawmakers. If that isn’t a vote of no confidence, then we don’t know what is.” Cothran added that the other thing missing at the rally was an actual bill. “We’re not entirely clear on what they were there to support,” he said. “There is no bill.”

Cothran said the bill would already have been introduced if expanded gambling advocates had the support they claimed to have. “The Governor keeps making excuses. He attacks the Senate President and he points to the filing deadline as complications for his legislation. The only reason the Governor hasn’t introduced a bill is because he doesn’t have the votes.”

For Immediate Release
February 6, 2012
Contact: Martin Cothran
Phone: (859) 329-1919

LEXINGTON, KY–The Family Foundation said today that Gov. Steve Beshear’s decision not to file his proposed constitutional amendment to expand gambling until after the filing deadline for legislative candidates indicated that he had serious doubts about support for it among Kentuckians. The Family Foundation opposes the legislation and claims the Governor does not have legislative support to pass the bill.

Cothran pointed to claims from the Governor and wealthy gambling interests that Kentuckians supported the legislation by a wide margin, as well as to the Governor’s claim that he had the votes in the Senate to pass the bill and asked why, if these things were true, there was any reason for Beshear to wait to file the bill.

“If Kentuckians overwhelmingly support this bill and if he really has 23 votes in the State Senate to the extent the Governor claims,” asked Martin Cothran, spokesman for the group, “then why does he have to wait until after the filing deadline to introduce it? He obviously lacks confidence in his own legislation.”

“The Governor needs to stop playing politics with this issue and introduce his legislation,” said Cothran. “How can you blame other people for the failure of your own legislation, as this Governor has done, when you don’t even have the courage to file your bill?”

Cothran said last week that the Governor was bluffing. “This is just further proof that the Governor and his wealthy casino supporters don’t have the support they claim.”

For Immediate Release
February 1, 2012
Contact: Martin Cothran
Phone: (859) 329-1919

LEXINGTON, KY–The Family Foundation today filed open records requests with the office of the Governor and the Kentucky State Police asking about meetings and correspondence between the Governor’s office and casino interests in the formulation of a constitutional amendment to expand gambling in the state.

“We think there should be full disclosure about the individuals and the wealthy corporations who may have been involved in the attempt to rewrite Kentucky’s Constitution,” said Martin Cothran, spokesman for the group.

Cothran said he thought many Kentuckians would find it disturbing if it turned out that wealthy horse tracks and casino corporations were heavily involved in changing the Constitution in a way in which they stood to financially benefit. “People don’t want their laws written in smoke-filled back rooms by millionaire businessmen whose names they don’t even know,” he said. “This process needs to be out in the open.”

For Immediate Release
January 31, 2012
Contact: Martin Cothran
Phone: (859) 329-1919

Governor trying to “shift blame” on doomed gambling measure

LEXINGTON, KY–”The Governor is trying to shift blame from his own inept handling of the now doomed gambling bill so that he can blame it on someone else,” said Martin Cothran in response to Beshear’s comments today accusing Senate President David Williams of “intimidation.” Beshear is trying to blame David Williams for the demise of the constitutional amendment to expand gambling, said Cothran, “but the fault lies squarely with the Governor.”

Cothran said the Governor’s delaying tactics are what has ultimately doomed the legislation. “He said he would have a bill out three weeks ago. Instead, he keeps delaying. He originally said he would have it out in early January. Now we’re into February. He keeps saying ‘next week’ and ‘in a few days.’ He’s done this so many times now that lawmakers are having a hard time taking him seriously.”

“This is the longest drum roll we have ever seen,” said Cothran.

The group said Beshear would not be alienating Senate President David Williams unless he had already given up on his own bill. “You don’t insult the head of the chamber you’re counting on to pass your bill unless you have already given up on it yourself,” said Cothran. “If there was any doubt that the gambling bill was already dead, his comments today should have settled it.”

For Immediate Release
January 31, 2012
Contact: Martin Cothran
Phone: (859) 329-1919

LEXINGTON, KY——”If the Governor thinks he has the votes he needs, he ought to tell us who they are,” said Martin Cothran, spokesman for The Family Foundation, after Gov. Steve Beshear claimed Monday that he had 23 Senate votes to pass a constitutional amendment to allow casino gambling. “The Governor says he sees 23 votes. We think it’s a mirage. I’ve had legislators who are in favor of this bill tell me they don’t think it has the votes.”

“The Governor is bluffing,” said Cothran.

“The clock has run out on the gambling bill,” he said. “As far as we can tell, this thing is dead. The Governor has waited too long to introduce it and we don’t see how he can resuscitate it at this point.”

“Support for this bill has been slipping away for several weeks. If he introduces it now, it will be the first time a new model has been unveiled just as the wheels were falling off.”