ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we will see how Governor Breathitt availed himself of the strategic superiority which he had established over the previous eighteen months to obtain the enactment of the 1966 Strip Mine Control Act. The care and attention with which he prepared for the legislative session were due to his recognition that even the most brilliant strategy would founder unless accompanied by sound tactics. This is especially true when the field of battle is as fogshrouded and obstacle-laden as is a session of the Kentucky legislature. As an institution staffed by part-time amateurs who meet only sixty days every other year, the legislature is naturally inclined towards chaos. In such an environment, positive results are much more difficult to achieve than are obstruction and delay. Breathitt realized that his strategic advantage could easily be nullified by this bias for inertia and that he must exploit every means available for stimulating legislative action. His tactical skill proved to be vital to the success of his enterprise.
