La. R.S. § 4:181 Parish-Wide Election On Horse Racing Meet

• Library: Louisiana Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current with changes from the 2023 Legislative Session
• Year: 2023
• Citation: La. R.S. § 4:181

A. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, no horse racing meet in a parish in which no racing meet is being conducted on the effective date of this section, or in which no racing meet under a license from the Louisiana State Racing Commission has been conducted prior to such effective date, shall be allowed where pari-mutuel betting is authorized by law unless the operation and conduct of the racing meet first has been approved at an election held in accordance with the provisions of this section; however, said election shall not be required prior to conducting quarter horse racing in St. Landry, Iberville, West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee and St. Martin Parishes.

B. Any person desiring to operate and conduct a horse racing meet in a parish in which no racing meet is being conducted on the effective date of this section, or in which no racing meet under a license issued by the State Racing Commission has been conducted prior to such effective date, shall make application to the governing authority of the parish in which the proposed horse racing meet is to be conducted. The application shall state the location of the proposed horse racing meet and describe the facilities proposed to be constructed for the holding of the racing meet and shall have attached the license, or a certified copy thereof, for the meeting issued to the applicant by the State Racing Commission.

C. Upon receipt of the application the governing authority of the parish in which the racing meet is proposed to be held shall call and conduct a referendum election within the parish for the purpose of submitting to the qualified electors of the parish the proposition whether or not the proposed racing meeting shall be allowed.

D. The referendum election shall be held on a date fixed by the parish governing authority within a period of thirty days of receipt of the application. Notice of the election shall be published at least twice at five day intervals in the official journal of the parish or if the official journal is not published daily, then publication shall be in a daily newspaper of general circulation in the parish. The publication shall be completed at least five days prior to the date on which the election is to be held. The parish governing authority also shall have five spot announcements at least two days apart of the election broadcast on radio or television channels readily receivable in the parish and shall make notice of the election available to the news media. All qualified electors of the parish shall be entitled to vote in the election.