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Gambling Expansion on Legislative Agenda: A Letter from KCC

Written: 6/12/2009 4:13:09 PM

A Letter from the Kentucky Council of Churches

Monday will bring the beginning of a new Special Session for the KY State Legislature.  I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to contact your KY Legislators about an important issue this coming session to ask them where they stand regarding the expansion of gambling.

As you compose sermons, communicate with elected officials, write letters to the editor, and speak with key opinion leaders, and as you prepare to pick up the phone and call your legislators or click to send a brief e-mail message, I encourage you to take a look at what the Churches in KY have said together about this issue in the past.  The diverse denominations of the thirteen member bodies of the Kentucky Council of Churches have agreed, since 1993, adopting two policy statements in opposition to the expansion of gambling in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Perhaps you will be among those who find it helpful to quote from these statements. 

A pdf version of these affirmations of unity can be found at http://www.kycouncilofchurches.org/Policies/Gambling_Casinos.pdf.

An html version can be found at http://www.kycouncilofchurches.org/policies.html#anchor478353. 

A special session often affords a legislator a little more time to meet with and speak with their constituents because they are not as occupied with committee meetings and other responsibilities as they are during a regular session.   Please take a few moments to contact your State Legislators at 1-800-372-7181 and let them know how you feel about legalizing the expansion of gambling in KY. 

If you visit http://capwiz.com/kychurches/issues/alert/?alertid=13537946&PROCESS=Take+Action we have made it easy for you to send your leaders a quick letter asking them where they stand on this issue.  

Thank you for joining hands and voices to safeguard the health of Kentucky's civic life and the lives of our most vulnerable citizens.

With hope and peace,
Chris

The Rev. W. Christopher Benham Skidmore
Associate Director, the Kentucky Council of Churches
1500 Leestown Road, Suite 108
Lexington, KY 40511
wcbs@kycouncilofchurches.org