COEUR d'ALENE - A Boise-based horse racing track has sent "WARN" letters to its employees, stating the park will close permanently if "historic horse racing" is repealed.

The Greyhound Park and Event Center in Post Falls doesn't have any plans to close immediately, but could eventually close depending on the outcome of the vote on SB 1011 today.

"We won't close immediately," said Douglas Okuniewicz, manager of Greyhound Park. "But as I have said in the past, that could happen down the road."

Okuniewicz said Les Bois Park, in Garden City, is much more heavily invested in "historic racing machines," and has many more employees.

"They have bigger problems than us," he said.

On Monday, Les Bois sent the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification to all its employees. The letter stated that a bill to repeal historic horse racing machines has already passed the Senate, and is expected to come to a vote in the House today.

Because of its heavy investment in the machines - which it contends were authorized by the Legislature in 2013 - Les Bois cannot continue to operate without them.

"Despite our efforts to educate the Legislature on the importance of historic racing to Idaho's horse racing industry, economy, employment, and Les Bois Park, we believe there is a very real possibility that the legislation will pass and be enacted into law," the letter stated. "As a result, we feel it our duty and responsibility to inform you now, that in the event SB1011 becomes law, Les Bois Park will close soon after the date of enactment of the repeal of (historic horse racing)."

The closure will be permanent and affect the entire facility, the letter said.

The letter was distributed to more than 100 employees. Les Bois Park employs as many as 271 employees during the peak of its season, but most of them are seasonal workers.

The bill is expected to come before the full House for a vote today, and if it passes, the last stop will be the governor's desk before it becomes law.

Okuniewicz is not sure if the governor will sign the bill or not, but said he thinks the House vote could be close.

"We are still talking with legislators," he said, in an interview Tuesday. "It is really close. We have some hard votes one way or the other, but it will come down to the undecided."

Okuniewicz said the largest contingent of legislators feel they were duped in 2013 by the former director of the Idaho Racing Commission, who resigned early in the session.

"He is gone, so now are they punishing us," he said, adding his horse racing machines are nearly identical in functionality to the machines used in tribal casinos across the state.

The Post Falls Police are currently trying to determine the legality of the horse racing machines that look like electronic slot machines. Slot machines are specifically banned in the state constitution.

Rep. Don Cheatham, R-Post Falls, said he is planning to vote against the repeal. He is planning to debate the fact that the Legislature's role is to make the laws, not to interpret the law. That is the role of the judicial branch of government, he said.

He is also concerned the Legislature is not allowing the owners of those machines to have their due process under the law.

"Everyone is entitled to due process," Cheatham said in an email message Tuesday. "This bill is particularly odious, because it intentionally and knowingly seeks to deprive an entire group of Idahoans of due process."