Bill seeks hard liquor for racing facilities

BOISE – Car-racing facilities like the Stateline Speedway in Post Falls should be able to get the same liquor licenses as golf courses and ski areas, North Idaho lawmakers argued Friday.

“If we’re going to make laws that allow certain facilities” to have liquor licenses, said Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Sandpoint, “we should be consistent and allow all facilities to have them.”

HB 149, authored by new Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, gives the three motor-racing operations in the state – in Twin Falls, Meridian and Post Falls – the opportunity to get special liquor licenses. Special laws are required for facilities not in city limits, like ski areas, to serve hard liquor.

Despite complaints from several lawmakers, the House State Affairs Committee voted 13-3 to send the measure to the full House.

“You promote motor racing, but you want to sell alcohol to the people who will get in their cars and drive home,” said Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, one of three lawmakers who voted against the bill. “Beer and wine are one thing, but there’s a higher likelihood a problem could arise with hard liquor.”

But Joe Doellefeld, the owner of the stock-car racing facility in Post Falls, testified that Stateline Speedway hasn’t had a problem during the 16 years he’s owned it. It has a beer and wine license now.

“We’ve never had anything go wrong,” he said. “We’re a family facility. … We are very stringent on how we dispense alcohol products.”

Added Henderson: “In my time as a county commissioner and mayor, I never knew of a problem at this facility.”

The state would profit as much as $50,000 if all the motor-racing facilities were issued licenses, Doellefeld and Henderson said.

Republican Reps. Ken Andrus and Bert Stevenson joined Loertscher in voting against the measure, citing their strong belief that liquor licenses shouldn’t be issued for every establishment that wants one.

“Year in and year out, people come to this committee wanting special liquor licenses,” said Stevenson, R-Rupert. “But in order to protect my reputation, I will vote against this.”

Rep. Bob Ring, R-Caldwell, a physician, said people are just as likely to get drunk consuming wine as hard liquor.

“If a person wants to get drunk, wine … will do it,” he said. “They (Stateline Speedway) already have a beer and wine license, so I don’t see any problem with this.”

Freshman Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, voted in favor of the bill, as did Anderson.