AUSTIN – Today, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick sent this letter to Texas Racing Commission Chairman Robert Schmidt urging the commission to repeal historic racing, at their December 15 meeting.

————————————————

Dear Chairman Schmidt:

 
Thank you for your service to the State of Texas and your work on the Texas Racing Commission.

I am very hopeful about your upcoming Commission meeting scheduled for December 15, 2015, because you and your fellow Commissioners have an opportunity to address an important issue.

As I have previously stated, I believe the decision to publish rules for the implementation of historical racing was not an appropriate action for the Commission. The move runs afoul of the Texas Constitution and the express desire of many members of the Texas Legislature, including me.

I ask that you take this opportunity to unwind historical racing and return the Commission to its statutory purpose of enforcing the Texas Racing Act and its rules to ensure the safety, integrity, and fairness of Texas pari-mutuel racing. Additionally, I am committed to gathering  stakeholders together – horse breeders, trainers, and other associated and affiliated agri-business – to find ways to improve opportunities outside of expanding the gambling footprint in Texas. I want to restore certainty and predictability to the industry and allow them to prosper moving forward.

The equine industry has a long and storied history in Texas, and I look forward to this opportunity to work together to ensure their long term success.

For Texas,

Dan Patrick
Lieutenant Governor of Texas