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Horsemen’s association dispute and gaming rules draw sharp testimony; committee holds bill
Summary
Senate Bill 323, which would change race‑day and simulcast rules and name a horsemen’s group for interstate wagering, drew divided testimony and a fiscal warning; the committee held the bill for further work after hearing opposition concerns about federal law and animal welfare.
Senators heard contentious testimony on Senate Bill 323, which would change aspects of New Mexico’s horse racing and pari‑mutuel wagering statutes, specifically clarifying race‑day/week calculations, naming the New Mexico Horsemen’s Association as the recognized horsemen’s group under federal law, and expanding audit authority for racetracks. The committee chose to hold the bill.
Sponsor Senator Ezell (presenting) said the changes resolve statutory inconsistencies between the horse racing statute and the Gaming Control Act, and that state‑licensed race meets and simulcasting should clearly be tied to New Mexico‑licensed racing activity. “All this does is it makes the gaming control act consistent with the intent of the horse racing act, which is that if you’re going to operate a machine on one of these racinos, there needs to be live racing going on in New Mexico,” an expert witness said during testimony.
Proponents — including representatives of the New Mexico Horsemen’s Association — said the bill restores clarity, identifies which horsemen’s organization should be recognized when negotiating interstate simulcast contracts and requires audits by the state auditor for increased transparency.
Opponents, including the New Mexico Racing Commission and several racetrack operators, said the bill could conflict with the federal Interstate Horse Racing Act, would risk removing tracks’ existing authority to select recognized horsemen’s committees and could reduce gaming days or otherwise harm track economics. Animal‑welfare and watchdog groups also testified that more race days would strain a shrinking pool of racehorses and could worsen welfare problems. Several tracks and track representatives said a federal court decision last week complicated the bill’s premise and urged more work during the interim.
Given the fiscal complexity and outstanding legal concerns, the committee elected to hold the bill for further work rather than advance it.
