Despite passing 61-0 in the state House and 39-0 in the state Senate, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez vetoed House Bill 379, which would have required stricter testing for horseracing in the state. In her veto message, Martinez said the bill was not needed because state racing commission procedures “already meet or exceed the standards set” by the Association of Racing Commissioners International. “In fact, last year the ARCI recognized the excellence achieved by the commission awarding the executive director the President’s Award for exemplary service,” Martinez said.
Specifically, the measure would have expanded current requirements that the state follows for handling pre-race, post-race, out-of-competition and necropsy testing of samples taken from race horses.
Following Martinez’ veto, state Rep. Andy Nunez said, “We’ve only gotten three or four bills up there, and what does she do? She vetoes one. That bill passed unanimously in the House and Senate. She says it’s not necessary. She has no idea all the problems we have with horseracing.”
State Senator Mary Kay Papen said, “They really are not doing all the things they’re supposed to be doing, the testing. This bill would say that they had to follow the ARCI protocol or better. It was good bill and had no opposition, none. We get a lot of money from racing and want to make sure that it is the cleanest, the most high quality. We want to be the gold standard.” She added, “There’s a lot of stinky stuff going on.”
In 2012, the New York Times highlighted drug use in the horseracing industry as well as horse deaths and jockey injuries at New Mexico racetracks. That same year, the state racing commission adopted new standards on the drugs that can be administered to horses. In 2013, Martinez signed legislation increasing fines for violating horseracing regulations and establishing a new fund for testing.
Also in New Mexico, after three years of negotiations, the state and the Navajo Nation recently signed a compact allowing the tribe to continue operating its casinos for another 20 years. The compact was approved by the state legislator and is awaiting final approval from U.S. Department of Interior. Other Native American tribes previously signed compacts that would have expired at the end of June.
The Navajos said their three casinos generated nearly $80 million in 2014 with more than $6 million in revenue-sharing payments.
