New Mexico governor vetoes racehorse drug testing bill

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

New Mexico governor vetoes racehorse drug testing bill
The Associated Press
March 17, 2015 Updated 6 hours ago

SANTA FE, N.M. — Gov. Susana Martinez has vetoed a racehorse drug testing bill that required New Mexico's horse racing regulating body to follow the guidelines for testing set up by an international umbrella organization.

Roswell Republican Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell's bill was unanimously approved by both chambers of the Legislature.

In her veto message to the House, the governor said she finds the legislation "unnecessary and potentially detrimental."

Martinez said that even without it the New Mexico Racing Commission's testing procedures "already meet or exceed the standards" set by the Assn. of Racing Commissioners International.



Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2015/03/17/6127734_new-mexico-governor-vetoes-racehorse.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

[Wabbajack_]

1. The Next Sarah Palin

She'll be the puke VP nominee, mark my words.

[Ken Burch]

2. How much money does the horseracing industry give to Martinez?

BTW...if the bill passed unanimously, it should be possible to override the veto, shouldn't it?

[Unknown Beatle]

3. Another crazy ass republican governor.

I don't think repug governors make their own decisions, rather they have someone else do the thinking and decisions for them. People and corp. with money, for example, like ALEC and the koch suckers.

[Divernan]

4. Her veto easily overridden since bill had 100% legislative support.

She said language in the bill "weakens standards by not allowing for the commission to adopt regulations that exceed" the guidelines.

Her veto is puzzling - I'm curious to see whether the legislature overrides it. We'd really have to read the language of New Mexico Racing Commission's current standards in para materia with the vetoed bill to understand this apparently futile veto. What is it about the Assn. of Racing Commisioners International's guidelines that this governor finds "potentially detrimental"?

New Mexico is the state where there was a years long battle to reintroduce horse slaughtering into the U.S. - i.e., horse meat for human consumption. This Republican governor has opposed this, and Obama signed legislation that would block it as well:

ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) – Bad news for the Roswell’s horse slaughterhouse as Friday President Obama signed a spending bill that takes away funding for inspections and without those inspections, the slaughterhouse can’t open.

It’s the latest effort to block businesses from slaughtering horses for food in the U.S. and it’s just the latest struggle for Roswell’s Valley Meat Company.

In 2011, owner Rick De Los Santos announced he planned to turn his cattle slaughterhouse into a horse slaughterhouse. Since then, he’s gone through court battles from animal rights groups to the attorney general

http://krqe.com/2014/01/17/obama-signs-bill-cut-horse-slaughter/

Not familiar with the annual slaughter of thousands of racehorses in the U.S.? Read this:
http://offtrackthoroughbreds.com/2013/09/20/big-winner-nearly-dies-on-the-way-to-slaughter/

[Android3.14]

5. They already have a drug testing with the New Mexico Racing Commission

The article is pretty darn sparse, but wouldn't another layer of regulation be redundant and bring an unnecessary expense to NM residents?

[rpannier]

6. Bet if the bill drug tested welfare recipients

She'd be all over that

[malthaussen]

9. My sentiments exactly. n/t

[DeSwiss]

7. Gov. Susana Martinez: ''New Mexico Racehorse Exceptionalism At Its American Best!''

- We don't need know ferriners' rules when ours exceed even our own terribly high standards.

K&R

[center]
''What a Ninny!''[/center]

[Hoppy]

8. The governor is goddam right the bill is detrimental.

Hoppy's Hope is scheduled to bring in the dough next week. Just because she hasn't won anything yet, she still deserves a chance. Martinez signing the law, would have indeed, been detrimental.

[marked50]

10. VETO override

Although it would be possible for a veto override I doubt it would happen due to NM's short legislative session. This year it ends March 21. Only 4 days left to do lots of other business.

[Historic NY]

11. They endorse cheating and animal abuse.....

there are always ways around testing.

[fasttense]

12. New Mexico is notorious for abusing and drugging horses and rigging races

The New York Times did a big article about the number of injuries and the frequency of racehorse drug cases filed in New Mexico. They really need something to bring back legitimate racers to the state.

"New Mexico is trying to clean up its reputation as a state where dishonest trainers flourish. Two years ago, a New York Times expose claimed the state had the worst record in the country when it came to injuries to horses and jockeys.

Mares told LFC members Friday the Racing Commission files an average of five doping cases a week from New Mexico’s six licensed tracks and “well over 200 this year.”

One of the most widely used drugs is dermorphin, which is known as “frog juice” because it comes from an enzyme found on the backs of tropical frogs found in South America. The painkiller, considered to be considered 30 to 40 times more potent than morphine, is used to make horses run through whatever pain they may be experiencing."

"Earlier this month, New Mexico Watchdog reported the Racing Commission is looking into a mysterious photo that appeared after the running of the All American Futurity, the biggest quarter horse race in the world that is held every Labor Day at Ruidoso Downs. The photo was first published by the Paulick Report, an online horse racing magazine.

Holding the race trophy, two men in the photo are suspected to be trainers banned 20 years from race tracks for drugging horses."

Another issue is cracking down on “outlaw” or “bush” tracks, where horses race on unlicensed tracks often staged at an individual’s private ranch. Through text messaging, dozens and sometimes hundreds of people show up to place cash bets on races involving multiple horses or, sometimes, in match races featuring one horse against another. The conditions are rife for abuse.

“If a horse breaks a leg, they shoot it with a gun right there,” Muñoz said.

http://www.capitolreportnewmexico.com/tag/new-mexico-racing-commission/

Some of those criminals probably funded the governor's campaign.

[TygrBright]

13. ding-ding-ding! We have a winnah! All done by the NM book, here. (pun intended) n/t