Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 3769 | Horse Racing
Section 3769.02 | State Racing Commission.

Effective: September 24, 1999
Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 14 - 123rd General Assembly
A state racing commission is hereby established. It shall consist of five members, appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate. Not more than three members shall be affiliated with the same political party. To be eligible for appointment, a person shall be a qualified elector of the state and a resident of the state for not less than five years immediately preceding appointment. No person shall be appointed to the commission, nor be an employee of the commission, nor officiate at pari-mutuel meetings conducted in this state who is licensed or regulated, directly or indirectly, by the commission other than for the position to which the person is appointed, nor shall the person have any legal or beneficial interest, direct or indirect, pecuniary or otherwise, in any firm, association, or corporation that is so licensed or regulated or that participates in pari-mutuel meetings in any manner, nor shall the person participate in pari-mutuel meetings in any manner other than in the person's official capacity.
Terms of office shall be for four years, commencing on the first day of April and ending on the thirty-first day of March. Each member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the end of the term for which appointed. Vacancies shall be filled by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of that term. Any member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term until the member's successor takes office, or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first. No vacancy on the commission shall impair the power and authority of the remaining members to exercise all the powers of the commission. One of the members of the commission shall be named by the governor as chairperson of the commission at the time of making the appointment of any member for a full term.
The chairperson and the associate commissioners shall receive a salary fixed pursuant to Chapter 124. of the Revised Code. When on commission business and for attending commission meetings, the commissioners shall be allowed actual and necessary traveling expenses. The salaries and expenses shall be paid out of the state racing commission operating fund created by section 3769.03 of the Revised Code.
Each commissioner, before entering upon the discharge of the official duties of commissioner, shall give a bond, payable to the treasurer of state, in the sum of ten thousand dollars with sufficient sureties to be approved by the director of administrative services, which bond shall be filed with the secretary of state.
The governor may remove any member for malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in office, giving the member a copy of the charges against the member and affording the member an opportunity to be publicly heard in person or by counsel in the member's own defense upon not less than ten days' notice. If the member is removed, the governor shall file in the office of the secretary of state a complete statement of all charges made against the member and the governor's finding on the charges, together with a complete report of the proceedings, and the governor's decision on the charges is final.
The principal office of the commission shall be located in Franklin county.

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