Legislature to consider plan for tribal racino in county

A legislative hearing on a bill to allow a racino and a high-stakes beano facility in Washington County will be held on Monday, April 25. The Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee will consider legislation sponsored by Fred Moore III, the Passamaquoddy Tribe's representative, to authorize a tribal commercial harness racing track and up to 1,500 slot machines in the county. The hearing, in Room 437 in the State House in Augusta, will begin at 1:15 p.m.

The bill would increase the total number of slots allowed in the state to 3,000, and would also authorize a federally recognized tribe to operate a high-stakes beano facility on non-tribal land in Washington County. The facility could be owned by all four federally recognized tribes in the state, so they all could benefit from it.

The bill would require that the tribal commercial track be located more than 90 miles from an existing commercial racetrack, but within 45 miles of the operating tribe's tribal land held in trust. Moore says those restrictions mean that the track would be in Washington County, as the title of the bill indicates. A possible location has not yet been chosen.

Although efforts last year by Moore to expand the tribe's gaming opportunities were unsuccessful, he believes the legislation will receive "broad bipartisan support," noting that cosponsors of the bill are Senator Kevin Raye (R-Washington), Senator Kenneth Gagnon (D-Kennebec), Senator Debra Plowman (R-Penobscot), Rep. Leonard Bierman (R-Sorrento), Rep. Ed Dugay (D-Cherryfield), Rep. H. Ian Emery (R-Cutler), Rep. Howard McFadden (R-Dennysville), Rep. Anne Perry (D-Calais) and Rep. John Patrick (D-Rumford).

However, Governor John Baldacci has indicated he does not favor any expansion of gambling in the state. In addition, an anti-slot machine group, called No Slots for ME!, has been circulating petitions for a referendum vote to outlaw slot machines.

Although Maine voters rejected the Passamaquoddy-Penobscot plan for a $630 million casino in southern Maine in 2003, they approved a referendum that permits slot machines at the commercial racetrack in Bangor. Moore believes that the residents of Maine are not opposed to Indian gaming and that, to be fair, the tribes should be allowed to have a racino.

Harness racing association supports proposal
The legislation is receiving support from the state harness racing association. "There's no daylight between the cowboys and the Indians on this one," says Moore of the proposal.

The Maine Harness Horsemen's Association is very supportive of the plan, according to Bill Hathaway of Turner, the organization's executive secretary. While the tribe would own the track, the association would provide input into the management of the harness racing. The association believes that while a harness racing track could not successfully stand alone, it would be feasible by being coupled with the slot machines of a racino and other gambling opportunities. Other amenities will need to be provided to create a destination area to which people would want to come.

Hathaway notes that many breeding farms and stables are in southern Maine, where the land values are escalating, making it difficult for people to afford to pasture and stable horses. The proposal by the tribe presents an opportunity to move to an area that is more affordable for horsemen, with the agriculture-based industry fitting well into the location.

Along with a considerable number of jobs at the commercial racetrack, there would also be many spinoff jobs in caring for and training the horses, Hathaway adds.
Moore believes the establishment of a tribal commercial track will resurrect harness racing in Washington County. Races would be held year-round and would not conflict with race days at other tracks, so that horses from around the state could participate. Proceeds from the track would be reinvested into job-training programs to help integrate people in the county into the agriculture industry, including harness racing. Moore notes that the tribe owns hundreds of acres of farmland that could be used for rearing horses in Washington County.

Distribution of proceeds
According to Moore, the bill amends the law enacted last year that governs the operation of the Bangor racino. It would establish a Tribal Commercial Track Development Fund to develop and maintain the racetrack and to fund a vocational education program focusing on harness racing in Washington County.

The distribution of slot machine proceeds mirrors that approved for the Bangor racino, except that the 2% that would go to the state's Fund to Stabilize Off-track Betting Facilities would instead be forwarded to the Washington County Development Authority and to career and technical education centers located in the county. Also, 2% of slot machine income would be allocated to fund scholarships at the University of Maine at Machias, and 1% would be for scholarships at the Washington County Community College.

Other slot machine proceeds would be distributed as follows: 3% for gambling addiction counseling services, 10% to the state to supplement harness racing purses; 3% to the Sire Stakes Fund; 3% to the state's Agricultural Fair Support Fund; 10% to the state's Fund for a Healthy Maine; 4% to the state's Tribal Commercial Track Development Fund; and 1% to the municipality in which the slot machines are located.