News from Arizona

Hull Fights Back On Racetracks' 'Lies' About Gaming Pact - April 2, 2002

Gov. Jane Hull today fired back at Arizona's racetrack industry, calling its criticism of her Indian gaming accord "lies" and hand-delivering a letter to each lawmaker rebutting the tracks' media campaign.

Meanwhile, a national greyhound advocacy group vowed to fight the tracks' push to get casino-style machines. The machines would shore up an industry that is cruel to racing dogs, said Carey Theil, president of the Boston-based GREY2k USA.

The developments underscore the high stakes in the gaming debate, which moved to the statehouse this week as lawmakers convened a special session on Indian gaming. Debate is expected to begin Monday on at least four bills, all of which were introduced today.

Hull sent her letter after the tracks launched radio and newspaper ads blasting Hull for a "secret deal to expand casino gaming."

The compact that Hull negotiated with Arizona's 17 gaming tribes was done behind closed doors. But the governor noted in her letter that the two-year process was preceded by a series of four public hearings, and the general outlines of the compact were in a letter one of the tribes released 20 months ago.

Hull was particularly offended by what she called the personal nature of the tracks' criticism.

"Since the horse and dog track owners can't win this debate on the merits, they have resorted to personal attacks," she wrote.

She said the tracks misrepresented what will happen with the money the tribes will share with the state from gaming proceeds.

The tracks claim the money will go "right back to casino operators."

But the terms the governor negotiated, now contained in Senate Bill 1001, earmark the money for a variety of purposes, such as tourism promotion, grants to communities near casinos to defray infrastructure costs, and regulation and law enforcement related to gaming.

The bulk of the money would go to the state's general fund for education and health care.

The tracks, in a news release, picked apart the governor's arguments. "Clearly, the governor does not understand her own legislation," the Arizona Racetrack Alliance said.

The greyhound group said it opposes provisions in Senate President Randall Gnant's proposal to add video-lottery terminals to Arizona's greyhound racing tracks. Gnant's Senate Concurrent Resolution 1001 would allow up to 1,000 of the slotlike machines at urban tracks.

"Our concern is, if you give out thousands of slot machines, you will strengthen an industry that is responsible for the deaths of 20,000 greyhounds in the U.S. each year," Theil said.

Jack LaSota, an attorney who represents Tucson Greyhound Park, said Gnant's proposal provides money for greyhound adoption. Besides, the actions of what he called "overly excited defenders of animals" don't go to the heart of the gaming debate.

Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at (602) 444-8963.

By Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, Copyright 2002, azcentral.com.