In a letter to the editor, members of Citizens Concerned About GB Horseracing write, "Although that clear message has been sent, there is a simple next step that citizens can take to be sure that the home rule petition becomes law, and not just a message."
Do Great Barrington residents want an old expired and abandoned license granted by a state agency 20 years ago to dictate whether commercial horse racing comes to their town?
In her letter Marnie Meyers writes: “A return of horseracing to Great Barrington would bring gambling elements, snarled traffic, environmental damage, and the cruel use of horses back to that wonderful town.”
"Over the past few weeks I have met, spoken with, and received testimony from many in my District who are concerned with this proposal: either because they do not support horse racing as an industry, or because they are concerned with the legislation as it is currently drafted." --Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield
Town officials have said Sterling Suffolk Racecourse would need at least two special permits: One for commercial amusement and another for floodplain protection, and possibly a third for work in the town’s water quality protection overlay district.
Suffolk needs a change in state law to permit it to hold races in Great Barrington while at the same time allowing it to maintain its simulcasting and betting operations back in East Boston. Racing at the fairgrounds would also require permits from the town.
The audit found that, despite the Massachusetts Gaming Commission having the ability to examine if Plainridge Park Casino was meeting its hiring benchmarks, it had not done so.