By Tony McVeigh
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-892741.mp3
Frankfort, KY – The sponsor of an instant racing bill in the 2010 Kentucky General Assembly is pulling the bill up short of the finish line. With five days left in the session, Georgetown Sen. Damon Thayer says he's not declaring the bill dead, but he won't be actively working it.
Thayer says he underestimated opposition to the bill, which many see as an illegal expansion of gambling in Kentucky. Thayer believes Gov. Beshear can still institute instant racing through executive order, but any such action is sure to spur lawsuits. Instant racing involves the use of electronic machines to wager on thousands of randomly-selected, previously-run horse races.