By Tony McVeigh
Frankfort, KY – The legislative sponsors of the video slots bill that passed the House budget committee yesterday were allowed to speak to the committee prior to the vote, but bill supporters and opponents sitting in the audience were not. After the committee approved the measure 19-9, David Edmunds of The Family Foundation criticized the way the bill was handled, but says he's somewhat encouraged by the vote.
There were some surprises today. Arnold Simpson is a surprise. He's gonna vote against it on the floor. And as you know, the situation is fluid, but I feel better today than I did yesterday.
Representative Arnold Simpson was one of several committee members who said they were voting yes only to allow the bill to reach the House floor, where it's scheduled for a vote today. The measure needs 51 votes to pass. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the House 65-35.