Slots for Tots can add Pot

If Kentuckians follow the "Slots for Tots" idea to its logical conclusion, the road will lead them to California with the push to legalize marijuana to help education. After all, if people are already doing it anyway, just legalize it and tax it.

This will teach the children!

Suicide claims Gambling-Addicted Louisville Doctor

Today's C-J ran a tragic story of a prominent Louisville doctor and horseman that took his own life and left a trail of misery because of gambling addiction. Please pray for his family and pray that lawmakers and citizens alike will wake up to the true destructive nature of expanded gambling. Lives are at stake. Read the article here.

VICTORY

Gambling Opponents victorious watch coverage here:

Forbes covers Slot machine battle in Ky

Forbes magazine quotes David Edmunds, policy analyst for The Family Foundation. Read story here.

"We should be saddling horses, not taxpayers," says anti-slots group

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2009

Contact: Martin Cothran
(859) 329-1919

"We should be saddling horses, not taxpayers," said Martin Cothran, spokesman for Say No To Casinos. Cothran charged that taxpayers were being saddled with over a billion in debt to bail out wealthy horse racing tracks.

"At a time when many Kentucky taxpayers are struggling to pay their mortgages, state lawmakers in the House just voted to saddle taxpayers with the biggest mortgage since 1990 to bail out wealthy horse tracks, some of which pay their top executives millions of dollars in wages and benefits. There is no guarantee that we can pay this back."

"State lawmakers just foreclosed on common sense," said Cothran. "Unless the Senate stops this, financial irresponsibility will be Kentucky's signature industry."

The comments came after the House approved slots legislation with just 1 vote over the needed 51 votes – 52 to 45.

###

State representative says he won't sell his vote for slots

In today's Glasgow Times:

Johnny Bell wants badly to help the Glasgow Independent School District replace its 44-year-old high school. So badly he was at least thinking about whether he could best serve his community by voting against expanded gambling or voting for a new Glasgow High School.

But then, he said, House Democratic leadership made it plain in a two-hour plus caucus meeting Tuesday – you either vote for slots at the tracks or you get nothing.

Bell has twice introduced bills to help districts like Glasgow raise more money for buildings – only to be told each time the state budget couldn’t handle it or now isn’t the right time.

“But I found out today we change the rules in midstream, and if a person is not able to vote for the gambling issue, then their school won’t be built,” said an obviously upset Bell after the caucus meeting.

Read more here.

Unconstitutional slots proposal heats up

Channel WLKY32 in Louisville covered Gov. Steve Beshear's unconstitutional plan to bring slot machines to the state's horse tracks as well as Senate President David Williams' alternative plan. Martin Cothran with Say No To Casinos weighs in:



Also, David Edmunds was interviewed by WHAS11 and WAVE3, both in Louisville: