“Whatever it is that KEEP keeps, it isn’t their promises.”  

Family group criticizes KEEP for breaking promise,
introducing bills late

LEXINGTON, KY - The Family Foundation today criticized pro-casino forces for waiting to introduce their bill too late in the legislative session and for apparently backtracking on earlier commitments to Kentuckians about limiting the scope of their plan.

“Pro-casino forces in Kentucky have waited until 33 days into a 60-day legislative session to produce bills that they admit aren’t even their final form,” said Martin Cothran, senior policy analyst for the group.  “They promised to give us a bill in December, before the General Assembly ever started.  Instead, we had to wait until mid-February, one day before the deadline to file bills.  Then they tell us that important aspects of the bills will change.”

“They said they were going to lay their agenda out on the table for Kentuckians to consider a month and a half ago,” said Cothran.  “Now, over halfway through the legislative session, all they’ve put on the table is three shells, and we’re still supposed to be guessing which one the pea is under.”   

KEEP Chairman Brereton Jones appeared to back off of earlier promises that the horse group would only support legislation that limited casinos to horse tracks.  In addition, KEEP’s sponsor in the Senate, David Boswell, is vocally supportive of expanding casinos beyond tracks.

“KEEP’s choice of Sen. Boswell as their sponsor in the Senate tells us a lot about KEEP’s ability to keep its promises,” said Cothran.  “Sen. Boswell has always been candid about his position that casinos should be allowed outside tracks, and we respect his candor.  KEEP on the other hand, has said all along that is against proliferation of casinos outside of tracks.  To have their legislation introduced by a legislator who is for proliferation is an implicit message to Kentuckians that KEEP is going back on its word.”

“Whatever it is that KEEP keeps,” said Cothran, “it isn’t their promises.”

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Martin Cothran is the senior policy analyst for The Family Foundation, a nonprofit public policy organization that works on behalf of the family and the values that make families strong.