WWW arkcity.net

By JAMES JORDAN
Traveler Editor

State Rep. Kasha Kelley (R-Arkansas City) would have voted against the recent bill to expand gambling in the state regardless of how it was packaged or processed.

But it was the "how" the bill got passed that had her upset last week.

She filed a protest and has had it entered into the historical record. It wont change anything, but her protest will be there for people to see for as long as the state does business.

She believes the bill itself in unconstitutional, and is unhappy with the way it was maneuvered quickly through the House and the Senate.

In her protest, she writes that the bill "is an affront to the legislative process, entered into in an unconstitutional manner, and flanked by deceit and unethical maneuvering."

She said the bill was put together by a few legislators working with gambling interests. She also objected to the fact that there was no public testimony taken, and that there was virtually no debate at the statehouse about the bill.

"Senate Bill 66 is now the greatest gamble of all - one that dangerously gambles with the very future of Kansas and her families.," she further wrote in her protest.

She noted that the Kansas Lottery, which was passed several years ago, went through the normal political process.

"That was a legitimate deal. It went through the process and everyone knew what it was," she said.

She said if this bill had gone through the normal process, and had been approved by voters, "that would be one thing. But that is not what this is. This completely cut out the people of Kansas. I have never seen anything like this in Topeka."

Kelley also objects to how the law has been interpreted in this case.

The law stated that the state has to own and operate the lottery. This means that the state will own and operate casinos that will operate as a result of the expanded gambling bill.

She said the bill was rammed through both houses in Topeka with little input for anyone.

The day before the vote was taken she met with the Republican Caucus who heard from a proponent of the bill. That person didn't know what the bill contained and could not give them a copy, she explained.

"It was not available to look at until just before we voted. There were lots of games being played," she said.

It was hurried through the House, but then was delayed in the Senate as enough votes were sought to get it passed.

"Even two weeks before it passed, we had no idea it was coming," she said.

She added that this is the sort of thing that makes people not trust politics or politicians.

"I am very angry that they did this to the legislative process and to Kansas," she said.

Under the bill people in the affected counties will be able to vote on whether to allow gambling or not. But Kelley believes the ballot working is "disengenious."

The ballot will ask voters if they would approve an "expanded lottery gaming facility." The reason it will say that is that the word "lottery" is being used to describe games played at casinos.

She also criticized the fact that the state will be getting only 22 percent of revenues from the gambling operations. Other states get much higher percentages. Rhode Island gets around 60 percent. Pennsylvania and Florida get around 50 percent.

"At the end of the day, this is for the gambling industry. IT has nothing to do with giving the state revenues. If it did we would be getting more than 22 percent," she said.

She also warns that no one knows what the state's liability will be if it owns casinos. If a person leaves a casino intoxicated and kills someone, she wonders if the state will be held responsible since it owns the business.

She concluded in her protest, "Governor Sebelius gleefully proclaims the passing of this legislation "an historic" moment in Kansas. It is indeed historic, but not happily so. Rather, this is truly a dark day in the state of Kansas and for the now-tainted legislative process. "