Horse Racing Bill Goes to Gov. Dayton for Approval

The House passed a bill Monday that would change the horse racing industry in Minnesota, increasing the purses offered to winners at Running Aces Harness Park and by increasing the number of gambling tables at these race tracks and casinos throughout the state.

Sponsored by Rep. Joe Hoppe (R-Chaska) and Sen. Claire Robling (R-Jordan), HF2795/SF1727* would expand the number of tables from 50 to 80 and allow banked and unbanked games at the establishments.

“This will help both the non-horse track casinos and the horse track casinos,” said Hoppe.

In a column on the Indianz.com website, Jeff Hilger, a racehorse breeder from Stillwater, said he had urged the Legislature to allow slot machines at Canterbury Park to help fortify purses for years. But he and his allies could not overcome opposition from Native American casino interests and politicians, leaving their industry hanging by a thread.

He said it was Gov. Mark Dayton who proposed sitting down and negotiating. "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 said.

That led to a meeting between Canterbury President Randy Sampson and representatives of the tribe that operates . Those talks led to this legislation that could provide a 40 percent boost to Canterbury's purses. 

The House adopted amendments made by the Senate and re-passed the bill Monday. Following the 97-34 vote, the bill now goes to the governor.

The bill also includes its earlier language that would remove statutory restrictions on the concentrations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs administered to horses, instead allowing the Minnesota Racing Commission to set those standards.

The bill faced resistance from some lawmakers, who expressed frustration that this added language did not pass through House committees before it was heard on the floor.

“It matters to me that the public has not had any opportunity to weigh in on this. Do I know whether people in my district want this change? No, I don’t. Do you? I doubt that very much,” said Rep. Tina Liebling (R-Rochester).

Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls) worried that the increase in purse amounts could lead to horse trainers taking risks to win. While acknowledging that trainers care for their horses, she said, “This is the direction that leads to problems.”

Other lawmakers claimed that the bill could stimulate job growth in the horse racing industry, calling for fewer regulations.

- Erin Schmidtke of Session Daily - Daily news and information about Minnesota House committee and floor action.