Southern District of Iowa

A federal judge on Monday ended a nearly two-year-old lawsuit by dismissing seven of the eight counts in litigation initiated by two Iowa horsemen who alleged unconstitutionality of the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) and the way the HISA Authority collects assessment fees. The eighth count, which pertained to an order from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the fees, will simply be remanded back to that agency for a reworded explanation because, the judge wrote, "there is a 'strong possibility' that the FTC Order is guilty of nothing...

For the second time in five days-and for the seventh time in three years-individuals or entities under the control of the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) have filed a lawsuit in a federal court alleging that the law and its enforcement are unconstitutional. This latest legal action took the form of a July 29 complaint in United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (Central Division) filed by Thoroughbred owner Joseph A. Kelly and owner/trainer Douglas L. Anderson against the HISA Authority, the Federal Trade Commission, and...