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One difference between last year’s and this year\u2019s session is that this year is not a budget year for lawmakers. Because of that, any revenue-generating bill requires a three-fifths majority in each chamber. During budget years, those bills require just a simple majority.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Even with 25 new House members this year, the 60-vote threshold is likely attainable. Last year, the House voted 58-30 to pass it, and there were a few supporters who weren\u2019t on hand when the vote was taken.<\/p>\n
Meredith said 30 current GOP members voted for the bill last year, and another supporter who missed last year\u2019s vote is also back. He also believes they can pick up about 10 new Republican representatives.<\/p>\n
He also expects most, if not all, Democrats to get behind the bill, largely because Gov. Andy Beshear, also a Democrat, is an avid proponent of legalizing sports betting.<\/p>\n
Will the Senate Vote This Year?<\/h2>\n Where it may get tricky is in the Senate. Because of the three-fifths stipulation, it means it\u2019ll need 23 yes votes. That means if all Democrats in that chamber support the bill, it\u2019ll need 16 of the 30 Republicans to vote yes.<\/p>\n
Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, told Casino.org<\/em> in a text that that threshold is a \u201cbarrier to successful passage.\u201d Still, he remains the bill\u2019s biggest champion in the Senate. He worked closely with Meredith on some of the changes made to this year\u2019s bill.<\/p>\nI am looking forward to working with Rep. Meredith to try to move the sports betting bill further than it has before,\u201d<\/strong> Thayer said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nMeredith said he didn\u2019t want to be “overly optimistic” but believes they’re close to the votes they need.<\/p>\n
Crunch Time Already in Frankfort<\/h2>\n Timing may also be an issue.<\/p>\n
Odd-year sessions last only 30 legislative days, and Wednesday was the session\u2019s 14th day. The session runs four days a week through March 16, and after a veto period for Beshear, lawmakers return to Frankfort to conclude it on March 29-30.<\/p>\n
In an interview Tuesday, House Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations Committee Chairman Matt Koch, R-Paris, indicated that the committee\u2019s top priority is a bill to ban gray games or skill games in the state. He said he wasn\u2019t sure the committee could hear two bills of that magnitude during the same meeting.<\/p>\n
Theoretically, that means the sports betting bill may not get a House committee hearing until the week of March 6. If that\u2019s the case, it means the bill may not get a vote in the House until the end of that week or early in the week following. That schedule would give the Senate little time for passage, although they could consider it during the final two days of the session since supporters know Beshear would sign the bill into law.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Supporters of legalizing sports betting in Kentucky hope the fifth time is the charm. On Wednesday, state Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, filed House Bill 551, legislation that would allow sportsbooks to operate through the state\u2019s racetracks. The bill is modeled after previous attempts to legalize online and retail sports betting across the Bluegrass State, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":261093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,1074],"tags":[82033,80968,84932],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Kentucky Sports Betting Bill Would Allow Up to 27 Operators<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n