State legislator renews push for slot machines

Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005 | 9:22 a.m.

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Video slot machines would be legal in Kentucky, but local governments would be left with the decision of whether to allow them within their jurisdictions under a proposal announced Tuesday by a state lawmaker.

State Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, said he was pre-filing a plan that would allow Kentucky to have up to 21,000 slot machine terminals. Horse tracks and certain hotels would be allowed a share of 10,000 slot machines.

Meanwhile each of Kentucky's 120 counties would be eligible for an initial allowance of 50 terminals. The remaining 5,000 machines would be divvied up among the counties based on their populations, under Birch's proposal.

Initially, the plan would bring in about $200 million, Burch said.

"I think mine is probably one of the fairest ways to get slot machines in Kentucky," Burch said.

Money generated from slot machines would be doled out to pay for expenses such as Medicaid and education, among other things, Burch said. The Kentucky Lottery Corp. would have oversight.

State Sen. David Boswell, D-Owensboro, has also proposed a plan that would call for a constitutional amendment on casino gambling.

Bills that are pre-filed in the General Assembly must be filed again when the session starts.