NYRA Bill Passes in NYS Legislature

The New York State Assembly Wednesday gave final passage to a bill creating a new 17-member state government-dominated board to oversee the non-profit operator of New York's three thoroughbred tracks: Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga.

 The new panel will replace the current 25-member New York Racing Association, which is made up of industry insiders, for up to three years.

 Under the bill, Gov. Cuomo will have eight appointments and get to name the chairman. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos will have to picks each while the New York Racing Association will have five selections.

 The breeders and horsemen associations will have two non-voting members to advise on various issues.

The bill now goes to Gov. Cuomo for his signature.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/gov-cuomo-officially-takes-reins-york-struggling-horse-racing-industry-article-1.1099276#ixzz1yS0BqORY

A copy of the bill can be found here:  http://www.governor.ny.gov/assets/documents/GPB45NYRABILL.pdf

Governor’s Memorandum in Support:

http://www.governor.ny.gov/assets/documents/GPB45NYRAMEMO.pdf

According to pending New York State legislation, representatives from the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. will participate on the New York Racing Association's (NYRA) newly configured board of directors as non-voting "ex-officio members to advise on critical economic and equine health concerns of the racing industry, one appointed by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. (NYTB), and one appointed by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA)."

The revocation of racing industry stakeholder voting privileges is just one aspect of the NYRA reorganization under The New York State Racing Franchise Accountability and Transparency Act of 2012. The newly configured executive board, the Reorganization Board, will sit for three years. With 17 voting members the board is smaller in size (down from 25 members), and its make-up skewed towards government rather than racing industry control. The 17-member board will be composed of eight members appointed by the governor, two each by the Assembly Speaker and Senate Temporary President, and five by the current NYRA board. By the end of three years, the Reorganization Board is charged to produce a plan to transition NYRA to private control as a not-for-profit corporation.

The legislation maintains that the temporary reorganization board shall be under public control to ensure The New York Racing Association, Inc. works in the best interest of all stakeholders in horse racing including fans, owners and breeders by managing the state racing franchise with transparency and accountability.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/liz-o/new-york-horsemen-and-bre_b_1608464.html