Dog racing ban has enough signatures, backers say

June 17, 2008 03:11 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

(Globe file photo/2000)

By Christopher Baxter, Globe Correspondent

Supporters of a statewide ban on greyhound racing say they have enough signatures to put the issue before voters on November's ballot, but a lawsuit to block the measure is still pending in the Supreme Judicial Court.

The Committee to Protect Dogs submitted 45,000 signatures today to be certified by local election officials. The umbrella group of dog advocacy organizations said it gathered far more than the 11,099 needed to get the measure on the ballot this fall.

"We are very optimistic that voters will have an opportunity to end the cruelty of greyhound racing in November," said Christine Dorchak, a committee cochairwoman. "We're very encouraged by the response we've received while collecting signatures."

The measure would ban dog racing in Massachusetts as of Jan. 1, 2010, putting an end to racing at Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park and at Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere.

The backers of two other initiatives also said today that they had gathered enough signatures to get their referendums on the ballot. One measure would abolish the state income tax, and the other would ease laws prohibiting marijuana use.

"The news today doesn't trouble me at all," said George Carney, owner of the Raynham-Taunton track. "To me, it doesn't accomplish much at all except wasting time and money."

In March, Carney filed a lawsuit after the state attorney general's office approved the wording of the proposed initiative. Carney's attorney, Lee Kozol, alleged that the referendum was unfit for the ballot because it affected only two particular localities, according to court documents. The Supreme Judicial Court took the matter under advisement after a hearing May 7. In 2006, Carney used a lawsuit to successfully block a similar ballot initiative.

If the measure survives the court challenge, Carney and dog advocates both promise to wage extensive campaigns before the vote in November.