LEGISLATION HIGHLIGHTSSTATE SHOULD NOT PICK WINNERS AND LOSERS IN SPORTS BETTING DEBATE Place your bets. Do you think this is the year Minnesota legalizes sports gambling? Being able to put a wager on a sports game is an idea that has been debated for years at the State Capitol. It is one of those rare topics that truly is not partisan. You have Republicans and Democrats on both sides of this issue. Those in favor may think this is a personal freedom issue or want the state to get a cut of the action that is already taking place here illegally. Those opposed do not want to see an expansion of gambling or want people’s lives impacted by it. Regardless of whether you think sports betting is a good idea for Minnesota, there’s no denying the bill is closer to the finish line than ever before. Specifically, the House legislation legalizes mobile sports betting, for people in Minnesota 21 years of age or older. It permits the 11 Tribal Nations in Minnesota to be mobile sports betting operators. The bill does not apply to sports betting conducted exclusively on Tribal Lands, which would be conducted by a Tribal gaming ordinance approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission and a Tribal-state compact. The tax rate on mobile sports betting net revenue would be 10%. Bets placed on Tribal land would be specifically exempt from the proposed tax. Last session, Democrats made the decision to go after e-pull tabs in our state. The effect of eliminating the “open all” feature is a decline in gaming revenue for local charities, which also ended up hurting needy organizations in our communities that benefited from the charitable gambling distributions. In an effort to make up for that lost revenue, the bill’s author has now agreed to include a provision that would lower tax rates for charities. What’s not included is support for a struggling industry that happens to be the only sport in this state where you can legally wager: horse racing. Canterbury Park and Running Aces are struggling to stay alive, and yet there is little in the way of assistance for these organizations. Out of a sports betting plan that’s expected to generate millions of dollars a year to the state’s coffers, the House bill would allocate only $625,000 to horse racing purses. The bill also would not allow in person wagers at the racetracks – which is senseless and one might argue is the entire reason people attend. Just last week, Goodhue County residents who own and race horses at Running Aces traveled to the Capitol to testify, letting lawmakers know horse racing in Minnesota will end if something isn’t done. What I do not understand is why the bill authors are making the choice to pick winners and losers. Some get all, some get something, and some get next to nothing. Why can’t this bill be crafted so it’s a win-win for all involved? People who have reached out to me on this topic cannot understand why the Democrats are being so dysfunctional and why this is even an issue. Tens of thousands of Minnesotans each year enjoy being outdoors on a beautiful day watching horse races. Why would they not address keeping the horse racing industry alive and well in our state when they have the chance? It’s my hope that by the end of this session, the sports betting bill authors will choose to not pit one interest group over another and will do what’s right for all of the people in Minnesota. As always, please reach out by email at rep.pam.altendorf@house.mn.gov or call me at 651-296-8635 if there’s anything I can do for you. PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTION SYSTEM During debate on the Democrats’ controversial elections bill, they shot down my amendment that would prevent private grant money from being used to help conduct elections. In 2020, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg made a nearly $300 million donation to a liberal group that had the stated goal of providing voter access, money which many believe was ultimately used for partisan voter turnout. Since then, 28 states have banned this dark money influence, but Minnesota House Democrats weren’t interested, opposing my measure that would have done just that. To watch my floor speech, click here. I serve on the Elections committee and was very disappointed with the partisan bill Democrats brought forward. Everyone wants fair, transparent elections. We want to make it easy to vote, but hard to cheat. Our confidence in our election system is shaken and it’s so disappointing seeing the majority party passing new laws without any bipartisan support. ZUMBRO SANITARY DISTRICT BILL MOVING FORWARD This week, local officials were in St. Paul advocating for bonding dollars in order to fund the Zumbro Sanitary District system.  The system supports five southeastern Minnesota communities. As someone who is financially conservative, this is exactly the type of project that I would like to see the State of Minnesota prioritize and use funding towards infrastructure. It’s a smart project, because by combining five communities into one the overall cost – as opposed to doing five separate systems – it creates a significant savings. Hopefully, it will be included in a capital investment proposal which is expected to be unveiled later this year. LOCAL VISITORS 6th Graders from Bluff View Elementary in Lake City also visited me this week.  I was able to speak with them during their tour of the Capitol. I always enjoy answering their questions!  Goodhue County BPOU Members Jack Schlichting, Sara Bertschinger and Pam Collins visited with Reps. Peggy Scott, Pat Garofalo, Steve Jacob, and me.  Red Wing Chamber of Commerce members Jim Ross, Tom Pasch, Michelle Larson and Ross Lexvold also visited the Capitol this week.  Thanks for stopping by! |