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Lawmakers move forward to end Iowa dog racing

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March 26th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa House panel has moved forward on a bill to end greyhound racing in Iowa and pay breeders and employees in the industry up to $70 million. The bill moved Wednesday to the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration. Casinos in Council Bluffs and Dubuque, which spent $10 million to subsidize dog racing last year, say the industry is dying and the money could be better spent.

They would put up the money over six years to provide a retirement fund for dog owners, breeders, and other dog racing workers. The greyhound industry says it employs 1,200 people in Iowa and has proposed continuing racing in the state.

Lawmakers have told casinos and the dog industry to come up with their own plan or accept the Legislature’s solution.