Frankfort, Ky. ? Kentucky has virtual hunting in its crosshairs.

In Frankfort, the Kentucky Legislature on Tuesday voted to outlaw the practice of using the Internet to fire remote-controlled rifles at live animals.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Ernie Fletcher said the governor intends to sign the bill banning Internet hunting.

No such facilities exist in the state, but all Kentuckians would be banned from hunting on such sites, even if the target is in another state or country. At least 10 other states have passed similar measures.

The flurry stems from a Texas Web site that let users fire at animals from the privacy of their homes. At the urging of sportsmen’s groups, Texas last year banned such operations.