Legislation

Coeur d'Alene Tribe blasts governor for veto on horse race bill

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

A row of historical horse racing machines at Les Bois Park in Idaho. Photo from Facebook

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe slammed Idaho Gov. Butch Otter (R) on Monday after he vetoed a bill that would have repealed betting on historical horse races.

Senate Bill 1011 cruised through the Idaho Legislature after lawmakers raised alarms about electronic gaming machines that have been installed at non-Indian facilities. But Otter waited until the last minute -- some say he waited too long -- to veto the measure.

"Idahoans asked our governor to defend the Idaho Constitution by repealing instant racing, and sadly the governor made a clear choice to look the other way," Chairman Chief Allan said in a press release, according to news reports. "He turned his back on the Legislature and Idahoans in order to protect his friends and financiers."

The tribe said the horse race industry contributed $56,000 to Otter's campaign in the last election cycle. The tracks were threatening to close up shop if the repeal became law.

"Unfortunately, a beleaguered industry eager to get back on its feet financially expanded historical horse racing too quickly and without adequate safeguards to withstand inevitable scrutiny and criticism -- not out of any enmity against a beloved Idaho tradition, but rather against the insidious specter of gambling's expansion unchecked in Idaho communities," Otter said in his veto message that was dated April 3 but wasn't filed with lawmakers until yesterday morning.

The Idaho Senate failed to override the veto later in the day. Some lawmakers say they should have received Otter's message no later than Saturday afternoon so litigation on the matter is possible.

In 2013, the Legislature authorized bets on historical horse races. Tribes and lawmakers say the devices that have been installed at the non-Indian facilities closely resemble slot machines.

In addition to the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, the Kootenai Tribe, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes supported the repeal of the historical horse racing law.

Get the Story:
Otter’s veto of ‘instant racing’ machine ban was illegal, senators say (The Spokesman Review 4/7)
Idaho Gov. Otter vetoes instant racing ban bill, Senate override fails (The Idaho Statesman 4/7)
Otter vetoes historic horse racing repeal (The Coeur d'Alene Press 4/7)
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter vetoes instant horse racing bill (KBOI 4/6)