Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, says he wouldn’t encourage an introductory hearing on legislation unveiled by a horsemen’s group today to set up a state gaming commission that could authorize slot machine-like “instant racing” machines at Idaho racetracks to benefit the horse industry. “These folks have been led along by someone that this has hope,” Hill said. “There really isn’t any hope for it, this year, or next year, or maybe even ever. It’s not fair to lead them on that way.”

Hill said there likely aren’t the votes to support the bill in any committee in the Legislature, but there definitely aren’t in the Senate State Affairs Committee. “We brought this on ourselves by passing the bill last year,” he said. “It’s not going to go any further.”

Said Hill, “We can’t use an illegal method to support even an admirable industry. … I hope there are other ways the horse industry can be buoyed up and helped to make profitable. They’re good people. … I’d like to help them if we can. But not this way.”