Here’s a link to my full story at spokesman.com on today’s debate and votes in the House State Affairs Committee on “instant racing,” which ended with a 15-2 vote in favor of SB 1011, the bill to repeal the 2013 law that led to the gaming terminals being installed at three locations around the state. The Legislature in 2013 authorized betting on “historical horse racing,” which was described as a way of taking bets on broadcasts of past horse races. But lawmakers said they never envisioned the slot machine-like “instant racing” terminals that tracks ended up installing this year.

Just two committee members – Reps. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, and Shannon McMillan, R-Silverton – opposed letting the full House vote on the repeal bill. “The conclusion that these instant racing machines are slot machines is still supposition,” Barbieri declared. “There is no facts yet. The (Post Falls) police department is doing an investigation.” He called the repeal bill – which was proposed by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe – “a knee jerk, a reactionary, to a complaint that was brought by a competitor.”

Rep. Rep. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, said, “The Legislature did not intend for slot machines to go in. And I am really quite troubled by the blaming of the tribes on this. The focus keeps coming back to the tribes, however they have done everything in compliance with the law, it’s been underlined and underscored numerous times.”

SB 1011 earlier passed the Senate, 25-9. If it passes the House and receives the governor’s signature, instant racing would become illegal in Idaho July 1.