"Jeff Hilger had grown tired of fighting. For years, the racehorse breeder from Stillwater had urged the Legislature to allow slot machines at Canterbury Park to help fortify purses. But he and his allies could not overcome opposition from Native American casino interests and politicians, leaving their industry hanging by a thread.

Their push for a racino bill was dying again this spring, until Gov. Mark Dayton proposed a novel idea. "He said the best thing to do would be to sit down and negotiate,'' Hilger said Monday. "For 14 years, we'd fought the Native Americans. We had never sat down and talked with them. And I learned something: Talking is better than fighting.''

Hilger's discussion with the governor led to a meeting between Canterbury President Randy Sampson and representatives of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux tribe that operates Mystic Lake Casino. That led to legislation that could provide a 40 percent boost to Canterbury's purses. While it won't be as lucrative as a racino, it would provide a lifeline to the state's distressed breeding industry -- and better yet, it was passed by the Senate on Saturday and by the House on Monday."

Get the Story:
Rachel Blount: Art of talking gives hope to future of Canterbury (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 5/1)

Also Today:
Canterbury gambling expansion heads to governor (The Chanhassen Villager 4/30)
Racetrack, casino bill zips through Minnesota Legislature (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 5/1)

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