RACING COMMISSION BILL: Sen. Jane English (left) and Jan Bartlett testify.

In a Senate committee last week,  Sen. Jane English failed to muster sufficient votes for approval of her SB 596 to allow the director of Finance and Administration, currently Larry Walther, to appoint the director of the state Racing Commission, a division of DFA.

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The Racing Commission director, John “Smokey” Campbell, currently serves by gubernatorial appointment. So does the director of Finance and Administration. The Racing Commission itself is appointed by the governor.

Why change the appointment from the governor to his hand-picked DFA secretary? Jan Bartlett, general counsel for DFA, said the reason was “efficiencies” and to “streamline the process.”

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In response to questions, Bartlett said both DFA and the governor supported the change.

Sen. Breanne Davis of Russellville, who’s been an interested participant in the controversy over a casino permit in Pope County, raised questions about the change. She said it seemed as if it could cause conflicts with the independent commission, though Bartlett said it wouldn’t affect commission membership.

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There was a scattering of “no” votes and committee chair Sen. Jason Rapert declared the do-pass motion had failed. The vote was expunged. Rapert commented that English perhaps had some questions to deal with.

Hutchinson appointed Campbell to direct the agency, which oversees casino gambling and horse and dog racing, in August 2015 to replace Ron Oliver, a Democratic appointee. The former chair of the Arkansas Lottery Commission, Campbell has largely been behind the scenes as the commission has implemented a casino gambling expansion enabled by a constitutional amendment. Most of it has gone smoothly, save for the wrangling over a casino permit in Pope County. That remains tied up in court.

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Campbell is paid $104,312, after starting almost six years ago around $65,000.

I suspect the committee discussion didn’t reveal the whole story behind this legislation.

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