| | | Sec. 5. 8 MRSA §275-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1997, c. 474, §3 and | | affected by §6, is further amended to read: |
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| | | 1. Commercial track. "Commercial track" means a harness | | horse racing track licensed under this chapter to conduct harness | | horse racing with pari-mutuel wagering that: |
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| | | A. If the population within the 50-mile radius of the track | | is 300,000 or more, conducted racing on more than 100 days | in the previous 2 calendar years, except that if a racetrack | that qualified as a commercial racetrack under this | subsection goes out of business, one new race track opening | in a location with a population within a 50-mile radius of | the track of 300,000 or more qualifies as a commercial track | if it races more than 100 days in a calendar year |
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| | | B. If the population within the 50-mile radius of the track | | is less than 300,000, conducted racing on more than 25 days | in the previous 2 calendar years, except that if a racetrack | that qualified as a commercial racetrack under this | subsection goes out of business, one new racetrack opening | in a location with a population within a 50-mile radius of | the track of 300,000 or less qualifies as a commercial track | if it races more than 25 days in a calendar year |
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| | | For the purposes of this subsection, "50-mile radius" is measured | | by the most commonly used roadway. |
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| | | Sec. 6. 8 MRSA §279-A, first ¶, as amended by PL 1997, c. 528, §40, is | | further amended to read: |
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| | | For the purpose of enabling the department | | exercise and maintain a proper control over racing conducted | | under this chapter, the commission may adopt rules for the | | licensing, with or without fee in the discretion of the | | commission, of owners, trainers, drivers, grooms and all other | | persons participating in harness horse racing, including pari- | | mutuel employees and race officials. The commission may issue | | conditional licenses to owners, trainers, drivers, grooms and all | | other persons participating in harness racing, including pari- | | mutuel employees and race officials if one or more criteria are | | not met as contained in the commission rules. |
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| | | Sec. 7. 8 MRSA §281, as amended by PL 1997, c. 528, §42, is further | | amended to read: |
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| | | §281. Standard-bred horses |
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| | | The department | | breeding of a strain of Maine Standardbreds and make provision to |
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