Constitution
Ada Commishes Jockey For Horseless Racing Veto
April 1, 2015 
All three Ada Commishes signed onto a full page ad in the Wednesday Statesman calling for Gov. Butch Otter to veto the repeal of horseless racing on slot machines at the County-owned Les Bois Park and two other locations in Idaho.
The legislature approved something called “instant racing or historical racing” in 2013. The practice was billed as “video delivery of previous races.” After visitors complained to the GUARDIAN that the machines are thinly disguised slots we took a look and agreed.
We brought the argument to the Ada Commishes and they told us they had no choice but to allow the gambling because the legislature had passed the bill allowing the slot-like machines and they had to follow the law.
During the current session, legislators claimed they had been duped by the proponents and the director of the racing commission resigned after it was disclosed he was lobbying in favor of the machines in Wyoming while ostensibly regulating them in Idaho. The legislature has repealed the approval of the machines, but now the Commishes have come out in support of the small group of wealthy horse owners seeking a veto in the home stretch.
Look for the issue to hit the courts soon if the repeal bill is vetoed. Reports from the Capitol indicate about a 50-50 split on lobbying the Guv for and against the veto.
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Comments & Discussion
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Apr 1, 2015, 2:29 pm
Do the Ada County Commiishes have to give back their bribes (campaign contributions) if it is repealed? Who paid for the newspaper ads? When will Batman swoop in and take down the political criminals? Stay tuned for the next installment of the corruption rebranded as lofty morals series!
Apr 2, 2015, 4:28 pm
The BACC makes “backing the wrong horse” seem like a virtue. Why do we waste our time with a House of Representatives and a Senate legislature in the first place? Why not disband the entire democratic process and hand over all statewide decision making to the “Great State of Ada” County Commissioners? The cost of buying new cowboy hats to fit the new dimensions of their collective craniums must be making some local “Big and Tall” shop a fortune.
Apr 2, 2015, 8:48 pm
Is there no mechanism for research and advice for these Commissioner? Have they no staff? Do they rely on the lobbyists for their information, or just their gut feelings? Why, oh why, do they seem to make these embarrassing mistakes so often, are they beyond learning from prior mistakes – really are they that “limited”?