Ross Schulz, Corydon Democrat

The Harrison County Council Monday night heard a request of $48,000 for lobbying services at the state legislature for Rick Cockrum, of Capitol Assets LLC. Cockrum was hired by Harrison County last year to help protect the county's riverboat gaming funds.

"The Indiana gaming industry feels it's under attack," Cockrum said.

Neighboring state Michigan already has casinos and Ohio just last week approved gaming facilities for four cities including Cincinnati. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has also made it clear that one of his goals in office is to bring gaming to race tracks to protect the horse racing industry.

Shawn Donahue, the council's legal counsel, said Beshear is "picking off senators one at a time" and the passage of the gaming legislation could "come a lot sooner than you might think."

Add up all of the factors and it means one thing to the state and Harrison County's Horseshoe Southern Indiana: more competition.

"You've been isolated so far, but the Kentucky threat would be the most logical," Cockrum said.

Cockrum said the state has been looking for ways to make up the lost revenue and will continue to do so. He said legislation was filed this year to take away the county's money and distribute it among all 92 counties in the state.

"We fought that successfully," he said.

Cockrum said he and his team are at the Statehouse every day and report to the Harrison County Board of Commissioners on a regular basis, normally weekly.

"We're there all day, every day," he said. "If they're there, we're there."

He said he would like to continue to work with the county in 2010.

"You keep an ear to the wall for Harrison County, that is what we need," Councilman Jim Heitkemper said.

Commissioner James Goldman said he and the other two commissioners - Terry Miller and Carl (Buck) Mathes - believe it is important for the county to retain Cockrum for next year.

"It seems like there's always something brewing with these riverboats," Goldman said.

The council will vote on the additional, taken out of the riverboat gaming contingency fund, at its next meeting, Monday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m. at the courthouse in Corydon.