TEXAS HORSEMEN’S PARTNERSHIP FILES LEGAL ACTION REGARDING TEXAS RACING COMMISSION FUNDING
The Texas Horsemen’s Partnership issued a press release this morning, with the following excerpts:
On Thursday, attorneys for the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership, LLP (THP) filed an “Original Petition for Declaratory Judgment and Application for Temporary and Permanent Injunction” in the District Court of Travis County, against the State of Texas and Glen Hegar solely in his official capacity as Comptroller of Public Accounts. At question is the constitutionality of a Legislative Budget Board (LBB) appropriations rider, Rider 7,that is currently limiting funding of the Texas Racing Commission (TRC) and poses an immediate, ongoing and existential threat to the continued existence of the THP and the Texas horse racing industry.
Rider 7 purports to give the LBB unlimited discretion to withhold all funds appropriated for the TRC’s central administration and other support services. Without the ability to spend these funds, the TRC cannot perform any of its basic administrative or regulatory functions and, as a consequence, the Texas horse industry cannot operate.
Since Rider 7 became effective, the LBB has made clear that it will not permit the TRC to spend its essential funds until the agency repeals its rules allowing a form of pari-mutuel wagering called Historical Racing. On December 15, 2015, the TRC rejected a proposal to repeal the Historical Racing Rules.
SUPPORT THE THP LEGAL FUND
Because of the size and scope of the litigation filed, the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership needs your financial support to bring the lawsuit forward and see it through to completion. The Texas Horsemen’s Partnership, by itself, cannot fund this kind of litigation, and is asking for donations from the industry and the public. There are two ways that you can send a donation:
Mail a check to: Texas Horsemen’s Partnership at P.O. Box 142533 Austin, TX 78714 (checks should be made payable to the THP and ‘legal fund’ should be included in the memo line).
By phone: Call (512) 467-9799 to ask for a donation to be made from your Horsemen’s Bookkeeper account.
Time is of the essence, since the Texas Racing Commission has only been granted funding through the end of February. Won’t you please join your fellow horsemen and make a donation today?
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD NOW OPEN REGARDING REPEAL OF HISTORICAL RACING RULES
At the December meeting of the Texas Racing Commission, the TRC voted to once again open a period for public comment on the repeal of the rules on Historical Racing. The comment period will be open from January 1, 2016 through February 1, 2016.
In the same way that the horsemen and other industry supporters wrote letters and emails to voice their opinions the first time the proposal was published, we once again need to flood the Commission with letters opposing the repeal of the Historical Racing rules and requesting that the rules be kept in place.
With two newly appointed Texas Racing Commissioners it is more important than ever to make your voice heard, and educate them on how their decision will impact tens of thousands of jobs and the entire Texas Horse industry. Your letter need not be lengthy but is most effective when you state how you and your family are directly impacted by whatever decision is made. Ask your business associates, feed & equipment suppliers, veterinarians, etc. to write letters as well.
Email, fax and snail mail letters will be accepted until February 1st and can be sent to:
Chuck Trout
Executive Director
Texas Racing Commission
P.O. Box 12080
Austin, TX 78711
info@txrc.texas.gov
Fax: (512) 833-6907
You may also use the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/Broadcast…/-_RbzYtN_FaNgobeL3tA2w
The repeal of historical racing rules will be voted on at the February meeting of the TRC, so please send your letters as soon as possible.
EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE IN THE TEXAS PRIMARIES
The 2016 elections are extremely important to the future of Texas racing – especially the March primaries!
Political writer Roy Kent believes the primaries are probably more important than a General Election. Why? Because once November rolls around, a majority of voters are going to vote for either a Republican or Democratic candidate based solely on party.
Just how important is voting in the primary? For example, if all the registered voters in Harris County turned out to cast ballots – that’s roughly 2 million voters – they could essentially determine who the rest of the state would vote for in November. The Republican primary has, for the last 20 years or so, been the General Election for statewide office in Texas. By voting in the primary, you can determine your future with a candidate you like versus who is chosen as your candidate in November.
Most House Districts have candidates with same party opponents while only Senate Districts 1, 19, 24, 26 and 27 have candidates with same-party opponents. More information can be found at https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2016
We urge you contact each candidate in your House and Senate District and vote for the candidates you believe will support the Texas horse industry. If you don’t already know who represents you and which district you reside in, go to: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx