Racino Comes Back to Life

Racino, already voted down this year in a different Senate panel, returned in a friendlier committee with a popular purpose and a powerful patron Friday, according to a Star Tribune report. Sponsored by Senate finance chair  (R-Jordan), a racino amendment was attached to an education bill to accelerate repayment of last year's $750 million school aid payment delay, a.k.a. "the shift."

Another bill to speed the shift's repayment has cleared more legislative hurdles. But it would draw down about half of the state's skimpy reserve funds, and that's not likely to win Gov. Mark Dayton's favor, the report said.

Robling has talked all session about using a portion of Racino funds to pay back the educational shift. Racino backers estimate that adding 2,000 slot machine-style games at the two racetracks, including , would generate up to $130 million in new tax revenue for the state and revive the state's horse racing industry.