YPAL supports and endorses the inclusion of a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot to allow voters to decide whether to permit casino gambling in Kentucky. In taking this position, YPAL is not advocating either for or against expanded gaming.

“This is an issue that has consumed our legislature’s time for far too long,” said Rebecca Weis, President of the Young Professionals Association and attorney at Stites and Harbison.  “There are many other issues, for example— education, healthcare, and jobs—that deserve its attention.  We know if the legislation doesn’t go through this year, expanded gaming will continue to dominate political conversation until the next budget session in 2016.”

YPAL encourages its members to contact their state legislator and urge them to pass HB584. Find out who your legislator is here: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Legislators.htm

This is only the third time in YPAL’s 15-year history that the organization has taken a public stance on an issue. The first was in 2005, when YPAL came out in support of the new downtown arena, now the YUM! Center. The second was in 2011 when the group lent its support to the public smoking ban in Louisville. Both were Louisville-specific issues.

YPAL has been approached to advocate for other issues in the past, but only recently implemented an advocacy policy that formalized a process for the organization to endorse civic issues while protecting its integrity.  YPAL has and will continue to provide a variety of opportunities for young professionals to learn about hot-button public issues through panel discussions, the annual Kentucky YP Summit, and YP Day at the Capitol.