West Virginia delays greyhound bill

The Senate from West Virginia has delayed a bill that aims to eliminate a greyhound breeding development fund.

US.- A bill that would eliminate the Greyhound Breeding Development Fund in West Virginia was laid over on its second reading on Monday and was picked again on Tuesday. The opposition is concerned about how this would affect the local economy.

Senator Rollan Roberts said that it’s a complicated bill, but he supports it. “I would support the elimination of the taxpayer-funded greyhound racing. Fundamentally, I’m against gambling anyhow,” said Roberts. “That US$17.4 million could be used a whole lot of other places,” he added.

The opposition says that it would affect the economy. Senator Bill Ihlenfeld explained: “The lobbyists that have pushed to kill this industry have done a good job of spreading misinformation. I’m totally against it. It would be devastating to the city of Wheeling and to Ohio County. It would also be harmful to Kanawha County, where there’s also a track.”

The US$17.4 million would be transferred to the State Excess Lottery Revenue Fund, WCHS reported.

Roberts said that the state should not be giving, supporting and propping them up “if that is an industry that is dying anyhow.”

Ihlenfeld said that he disagrees: “Live betting is down, but the overall handle is up. More people are betting on dog races via simulcast than ever before.”