Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Tribe has asked the state Supreme Court to overturn Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter’s veto of a bill the tribe supported. The bill would ban instant horse racing machines at the state’s three racetracks.
In its June 3 filing the tribe is asking the court to rule that Otter transmitted his veto to the legislature too late. It claims that the bill should be ruled as binding because it became law before Otter vetoed it.
One of the racetracks that carries such machines, Coeur d’Alene Racing, operator of Greyhound Park Event Center, has petitioned the court to be able to submit arguments in the case. It has hired former Attorney General David Leroy, who filed the petition.
The racetrack deploys 35 of the machines, and argues that it has a great financial interest in the case.
In his brief, Leroy wrote, “As a former greyhound racing site, it never had live horse racing at its establishment. Therefore, Coeur d’Alene Racing Ltd cannot return to live horse races, yet is no longer allowed to conduct greyhound racing by statute. Its circumstance is unlike that of any other historical racing facility. No other Idaho entity can adequately represent Coeur d’Alene Racing Ltd’s unique perspective and interests.”
