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Special Session One Week Away

By Tony McVeigh

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-841793.mp3

Frankfort, KY – Horse industry lobbyists are already filing into Frankfort, as lawmakers prepare to act on legislation to expand gambling at the horse tracks. Billions of dollars are at stake and that's making Senate President David Williams, who personally opposes expanded gambling, nervous. "I've put a directive today for all of our members, from this point on, who are lobbied. We have offered to have the presence of a staff member when anyone attempts to lobby any Republican member of the Kentucky state Senate. I've advised them that should have a staff member and a witness before they talk to anybody."

In the early 1990's an FBI sting dubbed Operation BopTrot sent several Kentucky lawmakers, including Speaker of the House Don Blandford, to prison for taking bribes to support horse racing legislation.