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Senator against spending tax money on casino

Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004 | 9:28 a.m.

ALBUQUERQUE -- A state senator has asked the New Mexico Supreme Court to strike down a line-item veto from Gov. Bill Richardson that allows the state to use tax money to build a new casino at the Downs at Albuquerque.

"I have heartburn about public money being used to build a casino," said Sen. Shannon Robinson, D-Albuquerque.

A spokesman for the governor said Wednesday that Richardson acted within his authority to veto part of the language in a horse-track bill earlier this year. The bill specified where and how a small tax on horse betting in New Mexico can be spent.

A tax of just more than 2 percent is levied on the total amount bet at horse tracks around New Mexico. That money had been going to the tracks for their own improvement projects, but the Legislature in February passed a bill that splits the proceeds.

Now, the tracks get up to about 1 percent of the money, while the remainder goes to Expo New Mexico for face lift projects around the fairgrounds.

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