Republican gubernatorial candidate Alan Keck has proposed a new purpose for tax revenue collected from sports wagering in Kentucky, saying the bulk of the money should be used to bolster school safety.
Keck, the mayor of Somerset in southern Kentucky, offered his plan Thursday for redirecting future sports betting revenues into school safety initiatives — a week after a bill to legalize sports betting won final passage in the state's GOP-dominated legislature, after years of failure. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear quickly signed the bill after it reached his desk.
"There is simply nothing more important than ensuring that our kids, our teachers and our administrators get home safe every day," Keck said while unveiling his plan on social media.
KENTUCKY MAN ARRESTED AFTER 3 PEOPLE, 2 DOGS FOUND DEAD IN HOME
Last month, a former student shot through the doors of a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, killing three children and three adults. The massacre at The Covenant School was the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country that's grown increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.
Republican state Sen. Max Wise, the running mate of another GOP Kentucky gubernatorial candidate, Kelly Craft, has been at the forefront of legislative efforts to bolster school safety.
Twelve candidates in all are competing for the Republican nomination for governor in the May primary. Beshear is seeking reelection, in a campaign drawing national attention to see if the popular incumbent can overcome his party’s struggles in the GOP-trending state.
