Supporters of “historical horse racing,” or “instant racing,” in Idaho are close to getting a measure on the November ballot, hoping to legalize the machines in the near future.
Boxes of signatures to get the initiative on the ballot were dropped Thursday at the Secretary of State’s Office in Boise. Backers say the measure would also make it easier for live horse racing at places like Les Bois Park to financially survive in Idaho.
Historical horse racing involves bettors using terminals to place bets on randomly selected past horse races. The Idaho Legislature approved the machines in 2013, only to ban them two years later, citing too many similarities too outlawed slot machines. Governor Butch Otter vetoed the ban, but the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that Otter waited too long for the veto, throwing out the governor’s attempt to save the practice.
Advocates for the initiative say they dropped off more than 60,000 signatures Thursday. The Secretary of State’s Office will now begin the process of validating those signatures and making sure they fulfill the requirement of representing 6 percent of registered voters in at least 18 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts. Supporters say they’ve met those requirements. (Idaho Statesman)
