Senate Natural Resources and Rural Affairs and House Water and Agriculture Committee of Reference

ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE

SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND RURAL AFFAIRS AND HOUSE WATER AND AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE

Minutes of the Meeting

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

2:00 p.m., Senate Hearing Room 1

Members Present:

Senator Chuck Gray, CoChair	Representative Lucy Mason, CoChair
Senator Robert Blendu	Representative Jack Brown
Senator Karen Johnson	Representative Jennifer Burns
Members Absent: Senator Amanda Aguirre Senator Marsha Arzberger	Representative John Kavanagh Representative Lynne Pancrazi

Staff:

Megan Gnagy, Senate Natural Resources and Rural Affairs Research Analyst

Kathi Knox, House Water and Agriculture Research Analyst

Liz Dunfee, House Assistant Research Analyst

Cochairman Gray called the meeting to order at 2:15 p.m. and attendance was noted.

Opening Remarks

Megan Gnagy, Senate Natural Resources and Rural Affairs Research Analyst, gave an overview of the Arizona Department of Racing and the Arizona Racing Commission.

Arizona Department of Racing

Monique Cordova, Auditor General’s Office, gave a PowerPoint presentation (Attachment A) entitled Arizona Department of Racing; Performance Audit and Sunset Review and answered questions posed by the Committee.

Geoffrey Gonsher, Arizona Department of Racing, gave the Department’s response to the audit and answered questions posed by the Committee.

Ms. Cordova answered questions posed by the Committee.

Mr. Gonsher answered questions posed by the Committee.

Senator Blendu moved that the Arizona Department of Racing’s statutes include a requirement that all monetary transactions go through the Arizona Department of Racing. The motion passed by voice vote.

Representative Mason moved that the Senate Natural Resources and Rural Affairs and House Water and Agriculture Committee of Reference recommend that the Arizona Department of Racing be continued for eight years. The motion failed by voice vote.

Senator Blendu moved that the Senate Natural Resources and Rural Affairs and House Water and Agriculture Committee of Reference recommend that the Arizona Department of Racing be continued for five years. The motion failed by voice vote.

Representative Kavanagh moved that the Senate Natural Resources and Rural Affairs and House Water and Agriculture Committee of Reference recommend that the Arizona Department of Racing be continued for seven years. The motion failed by voice vote.

Representative Pancrazi moved that the Senate Natural Resources and Rural Affairs and House Water and Agriculture Committee of Reference recommend that the Arizona Department of Racing be continued for eight years. The motion passed by voice vote.

Arizona Racing Commission

Monique Cordova, Auditor General’s Office, gave a PowerPoint presentation (Attachment B) entitled Arizona Racing Commission; Sunset Review.

Geoffrey Gonsher, Arizona Racing Commission, gave the Commission’s response to the sunset review.

Leslie Wooten, Commissioner, Arizona Racing Commission, answered questions posed by the Committee.

Representative Mason moved that the Senate Natural Resources and Rural Affairs and House Water and Agriculture Committee of Reference recommend that the Arizona Racing Commission be continued for eight years. The motion passed by voice vote.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeff Turner

Committee Secretary

(Tapes and attachments on file in the Secretary of the Senate’s Office/Resource Center, Room 115.)

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Senate NRRA and House W&A

Committee of Reference

December 19, 2007

Page 1

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