Senators clash with witnesses over horseracing bill

LINCOLN - Senators clashed with some testifiers at the General Affairs Committee meeting Feb. 11 about their knowledge of the horseracing industry and proposals to help it make more money.

    LB73, introduced by Sen. Beau McCoy of Omaha, would change the number of live racing days required for a racetrack.

Pat Loontjer, director of Gambling With The Good Life, said she was neutral on the bill but didn’t think the racing industry is really interested in the horses and just wants to hold a gambling license and to diminish the number of live races.

  After hearing Loontjer’s testimony, Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln asked her if she wanted to characterized her testimony as opposed to the bill because nothing in it sounded neutral.

    Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha, an attorney, grilled Loontjer about her knowledge of subsidies and taxes in the horseracing industry and questioned the group Loontjer represents.

“We’re told Gambling With The Good Life has 2,500 people in its database and almost all the churches in the state - not mine -  are involved...Who is this group speaking for? Are there really almost 2,500 members and are almost all the churches in the state  involved in this network or is it most likely that you have a very committed group of extremists who don’t want the industry to succeed?” Lautenbaugh asked in his closing statement.

In an effort to clear up claims Loontjer made that horsemen did not want more live races, Lynne Schuller of the Horseman’s Benevolent and Protective Association said:  “We’ve been struggling to stay alive and struggling to succeed despite the gross inaccuracies spread by that particular group each and every day. I would love the luxury of making wild accusations without having to, or I don’t know, back it up with facts, but unfortunately, I have to back up what I say.”

Schuller said the horsemen wanted to hold more live races because that is how they make money, but tracks can’t afford it.

Schuller apologized for ranting during her testimony and Lautenbaugh said his conduct was harsh.

“This is important and it would be funny if it wasn’t so sad that we are killing an industry in Nebraska not because we’re failing to subsidize it, but because we just won’t get out of the way,” Lautenbaugh said.