Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear's bill seeking a constitutional amendment to authorize expanded gaming in the state was shot down in the Senate on Thursday
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Senate Bill 151 was approved in the Senate State & Local Government Committee on Wednesday, but did not receive enough support in the full Senate today with a vote of 21-16 against the legislation.
A total of 23 votes in favour of the bill was needed and then another 60 votes in the House in order for the issue to be put on a referendum ballot for voter approval in the general election.
According to a report on The Courier-Journal, the bill's sponsor Sen. Damon Thayer had requested that the bill not be put to a floor vote today as two supporters were missing from the session. The Senate Rules Committee voted to bring the legislation to a floor vote anyways.
The article also reports Beshear as saying he was disappointed that some senators did not follow through on commitments to support the bill so the public could vote on the issue.
(With files from The Courier-Journal)