LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Allowing bettors to wager on horse races that have already happened is needed to save the horse racing industry in Nebraska, a state senator says.
Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha says instant racing terminals should be allowed at licensed horseracing tracks as a way to boost revenue for the industry and the state. He says it also could create jobs.
Opponents say adding the machines merely expands gambling and does nothing to help Nebraskans.
The Judiciary Committee on Wednesday heard more than an hour and a half of testimony on Legislative Bill 806, which would allow betting at gambling machines that show races from a library of tens of thousands of old races.
Supporters argue it would not be expanded gambling because the machines would be at horse tracks.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) – A jury has convicted a former Scottsbluff police officer in a child pornography case.
Twenty-seven-year-old Tyler Reinpold, of Scottsbluff, was found guilty of 10 counts of possessing child pornography on Wednesday in Scotts Bluff County District Court. The jury deliberated for about five hours before returning the verdict.
Reinpold faces up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing is March 9.
Defense attorney Sterling Huff claimed the images were part of an investigation Reinpold was conducting. County Attorney Doug Warner said there was no evidence that the images were part of any ongoing investigation.
The Nebraska State Patrol began investigating Reinpold in August 2010. Reinpold was a Scottsbluff police officer for about three years before leaving in January 2011.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A bill designed to limit the spread of black-tailed prairie dogs in Nebraska has won first-round approval in the Legislature.
Lawmakers voted 30-0 on Wednesday to advance the measure by Ellsworth Sen. LeRoy Louden.
The proposal (LB473) would give counties the power to carry out a management program to help control the animals, which ranchers often view as pests.
The bill is intended to prevent black-tailed prairie dog colonies from expanding from one person’s property to another.
Counties would have the power to notify landowners that a  colony is not being managed, and could require landowners to take action.
Landowners would also have to notify counties that they have moved to address the problem.
The bill requires two more votes before it goes to Gov. Dave Heineman.