Racino bill stalls in first Senate hearing

Two hours of testimony in a state Senate committee this evening on a proposal to raise state revenues by allowing slot machines at two Minnesota horse racing tracks ended without a vote.

The bill’s author Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, laid the so-called racino bill on the table before a vote could be taken.

The state Capitol hearing room was packed and televisions outside the hearing room broadcast the proceedings for those who couldn’t get a seat inside. At one point, Committee Chairwoman Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, admonished racino supporters for clapping after testimony.

The bill would allow slots at the Canterbury Island race track in Shakopee and the Running Aces track in Columbus. Supporters say the two racinos would bring the state $250 million per biennium.

The revenue would set up a fund for five things: agriculture and rural development, early childhood education, research and development for biotechnology, athletics such as a Minnesota Vikings stadium and the state’s general fund.

Supporters said the money would bring $25 million a year to pay debt service on a new Minnesota Vikings stadium and benefit Minnesota’s horse breeding industry.

Corey Merrifield, president of Save the Vikes, said that the state needs to benefit from the same sort of gambling activity that is done on the state’s Indian reservations.

“It is not new to the state. It is not a new facility. Therefore it is not an expansion,” Merrifield said.

Sparks said the racino is a way to help the state’s ailing general fund without raising taxes or fees.

However, Vickey Winfrey, president of the Prairie Island Indian Community, which operates the Treasure Island Resort and Casino near Red Wing, said lawmakers shouldn’t assume that gaming will help the state’s budget as advertised.

“With the racino bill, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. …Gaming is not immune from the economic downturn,” Winfrey said.

Tom Pritchard, president of the Minnesota Family Council, said that largest share of revenue generated from casinos comes from people who live in a 30-mile radius of the casino. He didn’t think the racino would any different.

“Mainly what this will do is take money away from main streets. It won’t bring new money into the state,” Pritchard said.

The role of tribal campaign contributions to Democrats has always been close to the surface of the racino debate through the years. At the hearing, a couple of pro-racino testifiers criticized the influence they say the tribes’ campaign contributions have on DFL legislative leaders. Moreover, supporters pointed to a recent KSTP/Survey USA poll that found 80 percent of Minnesotans support a racino. Former GOP Sen. Dick Day, who now lobbies in favor of the racino bill, said he expects citizens will bring pressure on legislators to pass a racino in the future.

“We’re organized. We’re grassroots. We’re web siting it. …We’re coming,” Day said.

4 Responses to “Racino bill stalls in first Senate hearing”

1. Spock 777 Says:
   March 11th, 2010 at 10:41 am

   Quit dealing with the senate and put the vote in the hands of the people. Remember they said the lottery was a bad idea too–

   The is no competition in the Twin Cities for Mystic Lake, that’s bad business.

2. salpaulsen Says:
   March 11th, 2010 at 2:20 pm

   When you see that 80 percent of the people of Minnesota are for Racinos, and a handful of tribal bought-and-paid-for state senators are responsibile for decision making, looks to me no one cares for their constiutents anymore. I thought bribery was illegal in Minnesota.

   And by the way, as far as I’m aware, there is a need for early childhood education a little greater than 30 miles outside of the Twin Cities. The state receives no revenue, other than income taxes paid from their non-sustainable-living-wage earners who have gotten their hours and benefits cut from tribal casinos. Funny, don’t Native Americans throughout the state receive a great deal of funding from health and human services, jobs, housing and other government programs?

   Level the playing field once and for all. If you don’t have the guts to support Racino, have the guts to make tribal casinos pay revenue to the state.

3. gramsclp Says:
   March 11th, 2010 at 5:18 pm

   I am so sick of legislators - who are voted in by the people - not listening to the people. We all know that once they get in they get elected in they receive so many payoffs under the table that we the people do not count. Let the MN people decide - using the excuse that it will promote more gambling is so ridiculous when all they have to do is drive a couple miles from Canterbury and go to Mystic lake anyway. Has anyone seen the money that flows thru these tribal casinos on any given night?? Ludicrous to not cash in on some of that so as to keep taxes down for those of us actally working for a living and trying to save for retirement and medical care costs, unllike the majproty of legislators who get it all handed to them. Legislators - - LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE - NOW or run the risk of having every encumbent voted out of office every election year.

4. dick Says:
   March 16th, 2010 at 12:14 pm

   There continues to be too many DFLer’s paid off by Indian tribes - only hope to bolster horse racing industry is revenue sharing agreement with tribes, constitutional ammendment approving slots or added gaming (e.g. instant racing which has helped racing in other states).