Supporters of thoroughbred farms in Ocala will be taking a bus ride to Tallahassee Tuesday to oppose a Senate bill they believe would decimate their industry.
Senate Bill 408 is sponsored by Republican Sen. Danny Burgess of Pasco County. It would allow Gulfstream Park in Broward County and Tampa Bay Downs to keep their gambling operations even if they discontinue live thoroughbred racing.
That's called decoupling. Proponents have said they're protecting the future of racing at Gulfstream.
Opponents, however, say decoupling will devastate Florida's thoroughbred industry with its more than 33,000 jobs and $3.24 billion of economic impact centered in Marion County.
"The reason why this bill would be devastating is because of the very possibility that there will no longer be racing in this state," said Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. President Tom Ventura.
"Nothing was done in this area to deserve this," he added. "This is simply a one-way bill written by Gulfstream Park so that they can have their cake and eat it too."
Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry leaders in the area have formed a group called the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative and organized the bus trip to the Capitol to show their opposition.
On Monday, Burgess filed an amendment adding a delay -- until at least July 2032 -- before permit holders could drop live racing and still keep the slots or cardroom gambling.
There is a House version, too, House Bill 105, sponsored by Rep. Adam Anderson, R-Palm Harbor.
Earlier in March, Anderson expanded the bill to add what he calls a "trifecta" of changes to support the industry, including what would amount to a five-year delay before the venues could fully drop live racing.
Anderson said he's a lover of the horse industry.
"It would be an absolute failure in my opinion, if racing ended in the state of Florida,” Anderson said at a March 17 hearing. “So this bill is carefully crafted to do everything that's in our legislative power to ensure that doesn't happen."
The House bill has already been approved by two committees.
