DENVER The Western Slope would be allowed to have a horse racetrack and casino under a bill that advanced Wednesday at the Legislature.
Rep. Don Coram, R-Montrose, rescued his House Bill 1280 from defeat by limiting its effect to the Western Slope. The bill originally called for three racetracks and video lottery businesses, one each in the Denver area, Pueblo, and the Western Slope. A video lottery machine is similar to a slot machine.
Lobbyists for Front Range casinos opposed the idea, so Coram scaled back the bill, and it now specifies that the new gambling business has to be at least 100 miles away from a casino.
Tax money from the new slot machines would go to college scholarships and tourism promotion.
Rep. Roger Ben Wilson, D-Glenwood Springs, opposed the idea.
If were going to fund those things, lets fund them directly. Lets not fund them through gambling activities, which is a diversion from the quality of life and the values we cherish on the Western Slope, Wilson said.
It passed the House Agriculture Committee on a 7-6, bipartisan vote. Along with Coram, Rep. J. Paul Brown, R-Ignacio, voted for the bill.
It now goes to the House Appropriations Committee.
In other legislative news this week, the Senate passed a resolution calling on Congress to pick up the cost of educating out-of-state Native American students at Fort Lewis College.
House Joint Resolution 1016 passed 33-0 on Tuesday. It passed the House last month.
The Senate also voted 33-0 to confirm Steven Short to the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees.
Gov. John Hickenlooper nominated Short to the board in December to replace Richard Ballantine.