KTRV Fox 12 Senate: Free Idaho cops from probing penny poker
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Associated Press - February 25, 2010 4:54 PM ET
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - The Senate wants to dump a law dating to Idaho Territory days that required law enforcement agents to pursue all instances of gambling, even Friday-night poker all-stars and football-pool addicts.
Senators voted 34-1 to give prosecutors or sheriffs the discretion not to investigate and prosecute innocuous office pools where cash is at stake.
They've been required to go after even penny-ante poker miscreants since before 1890.
Ever since, Senate Minority Leader Kate Kelly says, cops who didn't go after any and all gamblers faced a possible misdemeanor.
Kelly, a Boise Democrat, argued law enforcement agents need more leeway to fight real crime, not those folks who engage in a friendly wager with office buddies.
The bill has cleared the House 69-1 and now heads to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter.
Wanna bet he signs it?
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