Bill seeks to help Lincoln horse racing track

A bill originally introduced to clarify the terms of members of the State Racing Commission was amended May 9 to attempt to assist Lincoln’s horse racing industry.

Introduced by Wilber Sen. Russ Karpisek to harmonize the terms of two new State Racing Commission members, LB256 was amended on select file to include provisions of LB299, also introduced by Karpisek.

The amendment would allow a racetrack licensee to contract with another licensee to conduct all but one day of live race meetings on its behalf, and would allow a racetrack licensee in a county with a city of the primary class to contract with another licensee to conduct all live race meetings on its behalf.

Lincoln is the state’s only primary class city.

Karpisek explained that, under the Nebraska Constitution, racetrack facilities must conduct a certain number of live race meets every year in order to qualify to simulcast races for pari-mutuel wagering at their facility. Lincoln, which will lose its racetrack as a result the state fair’s move to Grand Island, needs time to build a new facility, he said.

State Fair Park will close at the end of the 2012 season, Karpisek said, and the amendment would allow Lincoln to contract with another licensee to conduct all its live races until 2027, allowing time to finance and build a new facility.

Omaha Sen. Jeremy Nordquist supported the amendment, saying the horse racing industry employs approximately 3,000 people in the state and should be given the chance to succeed.

“This is an industry that is up against the ropes,” he said. “This is an industry that’s important to the state of Nebraska.”

Sen. Beau McCoy of Omaha offered an amendment that would have required all simulcast licensees to conduct at least one day of live race meetings to maintain their status.

McCoy sought an attorney general’s opinion on the constitutionality of removing the live race meet stipulation, and said the opinion indicated that doing so would violate the state’s constitutional requirement that simulcasting take place only at a licensed racetrack enclosure.

Karpisek disagreed, saying the State Racing Commission makes decisions regarding simulcast qualifications.

“The attorney general can’t say one way or the other whether this is constitutional or not,” he said.

The McCoy amendment failed 18-21.

Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha supported Karpisek’s amendment, saying it would provide assistance to a struggling industry at no expense to taxpayers.

“It would be helpful if we stopped putting impediments in the way of this industry,” he said.

The Karpisek amendment was adopted 26-8 and the bill advanced to final reading by voice vote.