FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 10, 2018
Contact: Tim Hurst, Chief Deputy Secretary of State
Phone: (208) 334-2852
Boise, Idaho – Secretary of State Lawerence Denney announced today that the historical horse racing ballot initiative is eligible for the November 6, 2018, General Election ballot.
In order to become eligible for the ballot, the initiative needed at least 56,192 valid petition signatures. This amount is equal to 6 percent of the total registered voters at the time of the last general election. These signatures are also required to be distributed across at least 18 legislative districts with at least 6 percent of registered voters from each district.
The Secretary of State certified the initiative exceeds that threshold today, and it qualifies for the November 6, 2018, General Election ballot.
The Attorney General’s official title of the initiative is as follows:
AN INITIATIVE AUTHORIZING HISTORICAL HORSE RACING AT CERTAIN LOCATIONS WHERE LIVE OR SIMULCAST HORSE RACING OCCURS AND ALLOCATING REVENUE THEREFROM. AN INITIATIVE AMENDING CHAPTER 25, TITLE 54, IDAHO CODE; CONTAINS FINDINGS AND PURPOSES; AMENDS DEFINITION OF HISTORICAL HORSE RACE; ADDS NEW SECTION AUTHORIZING HISTORICAL HORSE RACE BETTING AT CERTAIN LOCATIONS WHERE LIVE OR SIMULCAST PARIMUTUEL HORSE RACE BETTING OCCURS; SPECIFIES REQUIREMENTS FOR HISTORICAL HORSE RACE TERMINALS; DECLARES SUCH TERMINALS NOT TO BE SLOT MACHINES; ALLOCATES REVENUE FROM HISTORICAL HORSE RACE BETTING; REQUIRES LICENSEES TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS WITH HORSEMEN’S GROUPS; CREATES HISTORICAL HORSE RACE PURSE MONEYS FUND IN STATE TREASURY; AUTHORIZES DISTRIBUTION BY STATE RACING COMMISSION AND INVESTMENT BY STATE TREASURER OF FUND MONIES; DIRECTS STATE RACING COMMISSION TO PROMULGATE IMPLEMENTING RULES; DECLARES ACT EFFECTIVE UPON
VOTER APPROVAL AND COMPLETION OF VOTING CANVASS; AND PROVIDES FOR SEVERABILITY.
A summary of the initiative can be found on the Idaho Secretary of State website by visiting https://sos.idaho.gov/elect/inits/2018/init04.html.
The proponent of this initiative is Bruce Newcomb. He can be reached at P.O. Box 2762, Boise, ID 83701.
For more information about how an initiative qualifies for the ballot in Idaho, visit https://sos.idaho.gov/elect/inits/2018/instructions.html.
ABOUT LAWERENCE DENNEY
Lawerence Denney has served the people of Idaho since 1990. His public service began as a representative in District 13 and, following redistricting, then became a representative in District 9 until 2014. During this time, Denney served two terms as Majority Leader and three terms as Speaker of the House before successfully running for state office as Idaho’s Secretary of State. He is currently in the fourth year of his first term as Secretary of State.