Very Important Message from the ITHA Posted On:Dec 28, 2010 | Posted By:Glen
Very Important Message from the ITHA
END RECAPTURE!!
December 27, 2010
Dear Fellow Horseman;
Together we are in front, the wire is in sight but we must ride hard to the finish line and support Slots at Racetracks legislation.
As fellow Illinois horsemen, we have all witnessed the twenty year decline of our industry. Every wagering platform in Illinois has experienced such catastrophic declines that the financial credibility of some tracks has come in to question according to the Illinois Racing Board. Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen took a leadership role in first bringing consensus to the entire industry and then recently passing Illinois Senate Bill 737 (SB737) Slots at Racetracks.
SB 737 Slots at Racetracks is now before the Illinois House to clear two of the remaining three hurdles for passage of the bill: (a) approval by a House committee; and (b) approval by the full House. The House is currently scheduled to convene a "lame duck" session in early January 2011 to address SB 737 Slots at Racetracks, among other issues. The House has scheduled the following dates for the "lame duck" session: January 3-7 and 9-11.
ITHA has been working continuously in its advocacy efforts for the passage and enactment of SB 737 Slots at Racetracks. The only way SB 737 Slots at Racetracks will obtain the required minimum of 60 "yes" votes to pass the House is if ITHA and its members continue to reach outto their district Illinois House Representatives.
“There is much interest among lawmakers to bolster Illinois horseracing and the agribusiness upon which it rests,” said State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale). “That interest and work of the thoroughbred horsemen have been vital to the bill’s success so far.”
“Mike Campbell has been the face of the thoroughbred horseracing industry in Springfield and he brings enormous credibility to the process,” said House Deputy Majority Lou Lang (D-Skokie), who is sponsoring the gaming legislation in the House. “Mike’s legislative planning, organization and strategy deserve much credit for the success the bill has enjoyed so far.”
In addition to boosting the horseracing industry, the legislation could generate nearly $1 billion annually for Illinois’ nearly empty treasury and spur economic development and assistance on multiple levels.
It is imperative that you make the phone calls necessary to encourage your state representatives to SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT WILL MAKE ILLINOIS HORSERACING COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER STATES, and help fund our state education budget and other important services. With the first pull of a slot machine at a racetrack – recapture will end!! This is a historic time for our industry, and your phone call will make the difference. Please take time to contact your representatives NOW!
