FRANKFORT — While we continue to wait – and wait some more – for word from legislative leaders about how they’ll craft a state budget let’s play a Frankfort version of 20 questions. (We’ll use Frankfort math which means the number of questions might not add precisely to 20.)

Supporters of video lottery terminals at racetracks say there simply isn’t enough time to pass a constitutional amendment on expanded gambling. The horse industry can’t wait. Legislative leaders say the VLT legislation can’t pass this session. So how does no bill help the horse industry faster than an amendment which might lead to a bill next year?

There was a special House election last Tuesday. Gov. Steve Beshear went to Lexington for the University of Kentucky basketball game. UK fan and House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, was in Marion County that night, skipping the ball game in order to be in the district where a Democrat won Sen. Jimmy Higdon’s old House seat. When Beshear was active in the 14th Senate District special election, Republican Higdon won. When he neglected the House special election, Democrat Terry Mills won. Who do Democrats see as the more effective political leader?

Greenup County dermatologist Jack Ditty – the Republican who opposes Democratic Sen. Robin Webb in a re-match of their 18th Senate District special election last August – dropped by Webb’s office with a colleague, Dr. Henry Goodman. When Webb discovered Goodman was secretly taping the meeting, Ditty said he knew nothing about it – except that he’d told Goodman not to do it when they discussed it before the meeting. Goodman later told the Lexington Herald Leader, “Apparently, someone wants to make this political.” You think so? And that was before David Williams entered the fray Friday.

A few years ago, House and Senate leaders were taking a break from one of those marathon, closed-door budget conference committee meetings. One stopped by to chat up reporters camped outside, telling them how hard the job was. A smart-aleck reporter quipped: “It’s hard work spending all that money you don’t have isn’t it?” The lawmaker did a double take and conceded indeed it is hard work. Now those charged with closing a $1.4 billion budget shortfall have been told to do it without new revenue while protecting education and social services which along with corrections constitute more than 80 percent of the budget. How’s that going? Judging by the missed deadlines to share proposals with the Democratic House caucus, the answer appears to be not so well.

It’s also hard to craft domestic violence legislation which would require some accused abusers to wear electronic tracking devices without adding to costs borne by counties and infringing on the liberties of people who haven’t been convicted of a crime. No one wants to oppose legislation which might save the life of a woman who is being abused and living in terror. That’s why critics of some of the measures in Stumbo’s “Amanda’s Bill” began testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by saying they support the bill – and then picked it apart with concerns about its constitutionality, cost and effectiveness. So just how do you pay for a system that protects victims without restricting constitutional liberties?

OK, so that’s only five questions – not 20. But I work in Frankfort and my arithmetic is at least as good as Beshear’s on the number of votes for gambling in the Senate or lawmakers’ ability to balance receipts and expenditures in the state budget.

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.