A newly-formed coalition of businesses, unions and education groups have teamed up to get a constitutional amendment for gambling on the ballot in Kentucky.
The group is called the Kentucky Alliance for Jobs. It's a 501(c)(4), meaning it can raise money and advertise to support casino gaming.
The alliance is led by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President Dave Adkisson says the coalition is large and diverse, and the members don't always get along.
“Often times we’re engaged in various battles here in Frankfort and we don’t always see eye to eye," Adkisson says. "However we stand here united today. We all agree that we should let the citizens of Kentucky decide whether to permit expanded gambling.”
But opponents of the amendment say the coalition is another stunt for a dead issue. Martin Cothran with the Family Foundation says if the gambling amendment could pass, it already would have.
Whether or not the amendment has 23 votes—the minimum required to pass the state Senate—has been a major point of debate between the two sides.