Rep. Graham (D-Frankfort): a yes vote to get the bill to the House floor.

Representatives Stumbo, Clark and Moberly came to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee with House Bill 2, the slots at racetracks legislation at one o'clock on Thursday afternoon.  Speaker Stumbo brought a power point presentation that compared and contrasted the legislative plan with the executive branch plan.
Among the changes - the license fee grew from $360 million dollars paid up front to $510 million paid out over five years.  The Governor's tax rate on slots was set at 25% to go up to 35%. The bill presented would stay at 28% for five years, then use a sliding scale for taxability.  Stumbo's bill added a $250 tax credit for motor vehicle owners in Kentucky to defer at least part of the vehicle taxes paid. It added tax relief for active duty military, funds to assist problem gamblers and created an infrastructure for counties with race tracks to spread the dollars generated with their neighbors without tracks. The bill projected millions to go toward construction and repair of schools in most need of repair.
After an over two hour hearing, the House A & R Committee passed the bill out. The vote was not unanimous. Several GOP representatives quietly voted no. Some Democrats, like Rep. Jimmy Lee, also voted no. Lee explained that during his last campaign, he assured his voters that they would get a chance to vote on the issue of gaming. Voting for this bill would be breaking his word to his constituents. Representative Simpson voted against the bill because it would not help his community. He felt that a casino in his Northern Kentucky district looking across the river at gaming boats on the Ohio side was the way to go.
Several legislators held their nose to vote for the bill. Rep. Derrick Graham of Frankfort and Rep. Tommy Thompson both explained their affirmative votes to, in Thompson's words "get the bill to the floor.  Rep. Brent Yonts gave the most detailed explanation of his vote. Yonts of Muhlenberg County said that he has a large number of horses bought and sold in his district. Military interests at Wendell Ford Training Center and Fort Campbell are served by tax relief for active duty. He said he opposed casino gambling and this is not that - it's more gambling in a place that already has gambling. In all, Yonts said, that voting for the bill was a "balancing act" for his district.  He especially liked the allocation of funds to schools, since a new technical school is planned in his home county which will provide job training for high school students and graduates. 
The bill goes to the full House next. If it passes the House, it will go to the Senate, probably early next week. 
Stumbo, Moberly and Clark didn't have an easy time in the A & R Committee - but it's likely to be the easiest time they've had so far.