LET MARYLAND HORSES RUN!

 Pass House Bill 1039 / Senate Bill 848

Maryland voters spoke loud and clear when they approved slots in 2008. They voted to support the jobs, the open space, and the legacy that are Maryland racing.

This bill DOES NOT change the amount of money going to racing from slots revenues, and it seeks NO money from taxpayers.

This bill DOES create a program with funds already earmarked for racing whereby track owners can choose to apply for operating subsidies.

By participating in this program, track owners will be required to open their books to the public, to have viable business plans approved, and to invest in marketing and maintenance of infrastructure.

Track owners in Maryland have made some bad decisions in recent years, but those track owners reside outside of Maryland. If you punish the track owners by voting against the racing bill, you close down the tracks, take away thousands of jobs, push track residents into homeless shelters, and take away the revenue that supports a large percentage of Maryland's farms.

If you support the bill, you allow the Racing Commission, the Governor's Office, the horsemen, and the breeders to hold track owners accountable at a time when Maryland racing is increasing purses and growing. Supporting the bill costs taxpayers nothing, but it gives Marylanders the tools that we need to move this industry forward.

To read HB1039 / SB 848 click here