Deal Apparently Reached on Texas Funding

Blood-Horse

Texas lawmakers have apparently agreed to temporarily fund the Texas Racing Commission, allowing horse racing in the state to resume after a one-day shut down.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the agreement, which will likely have to be approved by Gov. Greg Abbott, was struck between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate budget writer Jane Nelson, and state House budget writer John Otto, who had been holding out for full funding along with other House members of the Texas Legislative Budget Board. Patrick and Nelson had proposed the temporary funding Monday. On Tuesday, Otto relented, according to Patrick and Nelson.

The deal will free up $186,000 to allow the commission to open for three months as lawmakers debate how to respond to its approval of a controversial new type of race-related betting.

The deal came hours after racetracks across the state were forced to shutter their racing and simulcast operations late Monday night.

Nelson had been pushing to defund the agency in retaliation for the approval of rules for implementing historical racing, a form of gaming in which the outcomes of electronic games resembling slot machines are based upon the results of previously run horse races.

Andrea B. Young, president of Sam Houston Race Park, said she had not seen the agreement and is uncertain that operations will resume Wednesday, Sept. 2.

“We haven’t seen the funding agreement being reported and we remain skeptical about the way it has been handled,” Young said in a statement. “A decision to provide the agency only three months of funding does not give the Texas racing industry the stability it needs to be successful. No business can survive in that environment. We still believe a full vote by the LBB is necessary. Absent that, we will be right back here in three months.

“As of now, we have not received any notification that we may resume simulcast racing on Wednesday.”