Published: November 18, 2009 2:48 pm ET

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Steve Beshear, governor of Kentucky, speaking of a bill that could bring slots to Kentucky’s tracks, told reporters yesterday he was “pretty confident that we will have enough votes to pass the bill if it gets to the floor” of the Republican-controlled senate.

A similar bill died there last year after passing the house.

Beshear said not all democrats would vote for the bill, nor would all republicans vote against it, but republican control of the senate has slipped to a 19-17 majority, with one independent and one seat open in a special election on December 8 in which democrats are firing TV and radio commercials at the republican candidate.

Speaking of racing, Beshear told the Kentucky Association of Counties meeting in Louisville, “we must protect this industry. Why? Not because there are two or three rich guys in it. But because there are 100,000 hardworking Kentuckians who work in that industry every day,” and slots at tracks could provide several hundred million to the state.

(Harness Tracks of America)