With The "Special" Session Over, The Finger Pointing Between Greg Stumbo And Steve Beshear Has Begun. Read More.
Stumbo says he urged Beshear to travel state pushing for legalized slots
By Joseph Gerth and Gregory A. Hall
FRANKFORT, Ky. — House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Tuesday that, in the days leading up to the special session, he tried to get Gov. Steve Beshear to travel the state and try to build grass-roots support for linking legalized slots to school funding.
But, he said, Beshear wanted to pass a "clean" bill that didn't earmark any of the revenue. And so the two key proponents of the legislation were at odds.
"I actually tried to get the governor to do that and, you know, he didn't obviously choose to do that," Stumbo said in an interview. "We started talking about that plan here … probably a month ago, and I mentioned to the governor probably a couple of times and told him that that's likely the path that we would go down."
Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said Beshear's response was tepid: "He never did say yes."
Beshear acknowledged that initially he didn't agree with Stumbo that they should leverage votes for gambling by promising hundreds of millions in spending on school and other projects — as the bill that ultimately emerged from the House did — and instead thought it should go through without any earmarks.
"I originally proposed the legislation in that form because I felt, personally, that was the best form for it to take," Beshear said in an interview. "… I felt like the best possible position for us to be in would be to have as much flexibility over whatever money was raised … so that we could move that money to wherever it best could help the people of this state," he said.
Ultimately, Beshear came on board and supported Stumbo's plan. But that was after the session began, and on Monday the bill died when it failed to win approval from the Senate budget committee.
Beshear said that an effort to rally grass roots support wouldn't have succeeded in getting the legislation through the Senate, given the makeup of the budget committee.
"I think the lines on this kind of issue are pretty clearly drawn," he said. "Folks have made public statements and decisions about where they are on an issue like this. So whether we were talking about this a month ago in somebody's district or today, I don't think it would have made any difference at all."
Meanwhile, Churchill Downs Inc. spokesman Kevin Flanery said Tuesday that horse industry supporters are still pushing for a full vote by the Senate on video lottery terminals at racetracks.
Flanery wouldn't specify how but it could include a legislative tactic called a discharge petition, which could pull Stumbo's House Bill 2 from the Appropriations and Revenue Committee. To be successful, a discharge petition would have to be supported by 20 of the 38 senators.
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By Joseph Gerth and Gregory A. Hall
FRANKFORT, Ky. — House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Tuesday that, in the days leading up to the special session, he tried to get Gov. Steve Beshear to travel the state and try to build grass-roots support for linking legalized slots to school funding.
But, he said, Beshear wanted to pass a "clean" bill that didn't earmark any of the revenue. And so the two key proponents of the legislation were at odds.
"I actually tried to get the governor to do that and, you know, he didn't obviously choose to do that," Stumbo said in an interview. "We started talking about that plan here … probably a month ago, and I mentioned to the governor probably a couple of times and told him that that's likely the path that we would go down."
Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said Beshear's response was tepid: "He never did say yes."
Beshear acknowledged that initially he didn't agree with Stumbo that they should leverage votes for gambling by promising hundreds of millions in spending on school and other projects — as the bill that ultimately emerged from the House did — and instead thought it should go through without any earmarks.
"I originally proposed the legislation in that form because I felt, personally, that was the best form for it to take," Beshear said in an interview. "… I felt like the best possible position for us to be in would be to have as much flexibility over whatever money was raised … so that we could move that money to wherever it best could help the people of this state," he said.
Ultimately, Beshear came on board and supported Stumbo's plan. But that was after the session began, and on Monday the bill died when it failed to win approval from the Senate budget committee.
Beshear said that an effort to rally grass roots support wouldn't have succeeded in getting the legislation through the Senate, given the makeup of the budget committee.
"I think the lines on this kind of issue are pretty clearly drawn," he said. "Folks have made public statements and decisions about where they are on an issue like this. So whether we were talking about this a month ago in somebody's district or today, I don't think it would have made any difference at all."
Meanwhile, Churchill Downs Inc. spokesman Kevin Flanery said Tuesday that horse industry supporters are still pushing for a full vote by the Senate on video lottery terminals at racetracks.
Flanery wouldn't specify how but it could include a legislative tactic called a discharge petition, which could pull Stumbo's House Bill 2 from the Appropriations and Revenue Committee. To be successful, a discharge petition would have to be supported by 20 of the 38 senators.
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Labels: Democratism, Kentucky politics
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 12:37 PM
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