LOUISVILLE —
David Williams finally got his opponent for governor, incumbent Democrat Steve Beshear, in the same room at a Kentucky Farm Bureau forum Wednesday. But the biggest news may have been Williams’ assertion that there are enough votes in the state Senate to pass a constitutional amendment on expanded gambling.
“I believe there are the votes in the state Senate to put it on the ballot,” Williams said. “I’m not one of them.”
Williams spoke to reporters after the forum where he challenged Beshear to formulate an amendment that can pass the General Assembly.
Beshear made expanded gambling a central plank of his 2007 campaign platform, saying at the time he wanted to let the people of Kentucky decide the issue and promised to get it passed. Williams has consistently opposed expanded gambling, saying he’s not opposed on moral grounds but thinks it’s “bad public policy.” Beshear says it’s necessary to prop up the horse industry — but the General Assembly has twice failed to pass an expanded gambling measure.
A constitutional amendment failed to pass the Democratic-controlled House in 2008 and the Senate refused to pass a bill to allow video lottery terminals at existing race tracks passed by the House and backed by Beshear in a subsequent session. Beshear has blamed Williams for failure to pass the measure.
Thursday, Williams said he never prevented an amendment on gambling “because there’s never been a constitutional provision passed by the state House of Representatives.” During the forum, Williams challenged Beshear to announce what he’d include in such an amendment and to secure public commitments by lawmakers to vote for it.
“I think having a constitutional amendment on the ballot would be wonderful,” Beshear said after the forum. “I was hoping he’d finally say, and I’ll let it be voted on in the Senate, but I never really heard that.
Williams said he plans on being in the governor’s office during the next session – not in the state Senate – and pointed out a governor cannot veto a constitutional amendment question passed by the legislature.
Beshear has declined several opportunities before Thursday to appear at forums with Williams and he said Thursday there’ll be plenty of time for such joint appearances and debates before the election.
“I think we’ll do this from time to time between now and the election,” said Beshear when asked if he’ll agree to more face-to-face encounters. “I find there are two groups of people who want a lot of joint appearances. One is my opponent and two is the news media.” He said the rest of Kentucky would like the campaign to be conducted in a “reasonably concise period of time” and he has a job to do as the incumbent governor.
All of the questions directed to the two candidates by the KFB board related to agriculture and both candidates responded farm-friendly answers – supporting sales tax exemptions for farm materials such as feed and fertilizer and opposing some federal and environmental regulations on farming.
Beshear worked his campaign case into most answers: that jobs are his focus and that he’s “balanced this budget nine times” and did so “without any broad-base tax increases” while protecting education. Willliams often did the same thing with his call for comprehensive tax reform and said several times Kentucky is at a competitive disadvantage with surrounding states, especially Tennessee.
Beshear responded that the National Tax Foundation ranks Kentucky’s business tax climate friendlier than Tennessee’s and then took a jab at his opponent: “I don’t know the love this fella over here has for the Big Orange, but I tell you I don’t like their football, I don’t like their basketball, and that Jack Daniels is not Bourbon.”
Williams used questions about environmental regulation and health care costs to assail the policies of President Barack Obama and claim Beshear supports those policies. Beshear said he has problems with aspects of the health care reform and thinks the federal government over regulates industries like coal.
Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort, Ky. He may be reached at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.
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