Vote possible today on means for bringing horse racing here

COLUMBUS

A lawmaker panel signed off on legislation late Tuesday morning that would provide the means for a Toledo horse racing track to move to the Youngstown area, setting up a potential floor vote later today.

On a split vote, with Democrats and one Republican opposing, the Senate’s Finance Committee signed off on House Bill 277. The chamber’s Republican Caucus was set to meet at midday to decide whether to schedule the final vote on the bill for today.

The original gist of the legislation would establish the process for Penn National Gaming Inc. and other horse track owners to approach the State Racing Commission to request racetrack relocations and the State Lottery Commission to consider applications for affected tracks to operate video lottery terminals — essentially slot machines operated by the state lottery.

Penn wants to relocate Raceway Park in Toledo to a 186-acre site in Austintown or Beulah Park in Columbus to a former Delphi automotive plant north of Dayton.

Under the legislation, the racing commission would give preferential treatment to applications from tracks wanting to move to areas without existing racetracks or casinos.

The moves are contingent on the state lottery allowing video slots at the racetracks.

The final committee version of the legislation included provisions from agreements between Gov. John Kasich’s administration and the operators of Ohio’s four new casinos, including clarifying language in state law concerning how the new gaming facilities will be taxed.

Under the bill, casinos would have to pay the state’s commercial activity tax based on the difference between what is wagered and what is paid out to patrons in winnings.

That would be a change from existing CAT law, which bases taxes on gross receipts — in the case of casinos, what is wagered.

Rep. Ronald Gerberry, a Democrat from Austintown and primary sponsor of the legislation, said Tuesday he supports the changes.