Senate Committee Kills Racino Plan

The vote by the Senate's State Government Committee was 8-5 against the "racino" proposal, with several Republicans and Democrats joining to reject it. It's the latest in a long line of setbacks at the Capitol for the track owners and horse breeders who have been pushing for more than a decade to add more than 2,000 video gambling machines at two Twin Cities-area tracks.

The racino proposal is opposed by gambling critics and by Minnesota Indian tribes and their allies who see unwanted competition to existing tribal casinos.

The latest plan called for directing up to $130 million in estimated new tax revenue toward college scholarships. Racino backers say their quest will continue.