By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FRANKFORT - In one of its final acts of the 2003 legislative session, the Kentucky General Assembly approved tax breaks late Tuesday night for two Newport entertainment attractions.

The $11.25 million in tax breaks over the next 10 years will go to the Newport on the Levee entertainment complex and the Hofbrauhaus beer garden and restaurant being developed across from it on Third Street.

Legislation including the tax breaks was passed 29-2 by the state Senate just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, the last day bills can be passed in this year's session.

The House passed its version of the bill Monday. The bill now heads to Gov. Paul Patton for his signature.

Newport on the Levee is using $10 million in tax incentives to undertake a $40 million expansion that will include a hotel.

The Hofbrauhaus, patterned after a famous beer garden in German, will use $1.25 million in incentives as part of its $5 million development costs.

"It took awhile and it was a lot of work, but it was certainly worth it," said Sen. Katie Stine, R-Fort Thomas, one of the legislation's primary sponsors.

"And it shows what we can accomplish when folks from Northern Kentucky get together down here and work together," she said.

Many of Northern Kentucky lawmakers were involved in winning support for the incentives, including Rep. Jim Callahan, D-Wilder; Rep. Tom Kerr, D-Taylor Mill; Rep. Charlie Walton, R-Florence; Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown; Sen. Jack Westwood, R-Crescent Springs; and Sen. Dick Roeding, R-Lakeside Park.

"This is a great example of how government and business can work together to create economic development, infrastructure and jobs," Thayer said.

The effort to win passage of the bill also included bipartisan support from the projects' lobbyists: Joe Meyer of Covington, a former Democratic state senator; and Republican Marc Wilson of Florence, who often advises GOP candidates in political campaigns.

The bill can also be used to attract other tourist destinations, including themed restaurants, to the region and the rest of the state, Stine said.

The Tourism Development Act allows projects to recoup up to 25 percent of their development costs by holding on to a portion of the sales tax generated by the project.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com