Politics
Thoroughbred racing ‘decoupling’ bill gets an overhaul aimed at preserving the industry
A bill aimed at saving thoroughbred horse racing in Florida and leveling the playing field for the parimutuel industry has undergone significant changes, aimed at alleviating fears from the thoroughbred industry that the measure could end racing.
A proposed committee substitute (PCS) maintains what is known as decoupling — which eliminates the requirement that thoroughbred racing facilities host live races in order to maintain permits for ancillary activities such as slot machines and card rooms — while adding a new commitment to maintain thoroughbred racing in the state.
The PCS to Rep. Adam Anderson’s measure (HB 105) adds language confirming that a track cannot stop racing unless they provide a three-year notice to the thoroughbred industry. It goes further by mandating that such notice cannot be given until 2027. The revision is meant to ensure the state’s two existing thoroughbred tracks, Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park, continue racing into the future.
Additionally, the PCS provides the ability to move existing thoroughbred race permits to different facilities, providing flexibility and new possibilities for the thoroughbred race industry.
The original bill easily cleared its first committee hearing last month, with a 12-4 favorable vote by the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee.
The bill, as it was originally written and under the new PCS, would allow Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach to continue operating its on-site casino without a contingency that it also operate horse racing. The measure is meant to align thoroughbred tracks with other parimutuel facilities that were decoupled from ancillary activities under a 2021 law (SB 2A).
Supporters of the legislation say it is necessary to level the playing field for horse race tracks, by giving them the option to maintain certain gambling activities even without live horse races. It would make each activity independent.
But the measure is not without opposition. Critics have been concerned about the continuation of horse racing. This PCS addresses those concerns and seeks to provide stability to the industry with the guarantee of racing into the future.
Horse racing is declining, but Gulfstream Park is making efforts to preserve it as a significant industry. The park hopes to attract more attention to its racing activities by making necessary improvements to its facility.
The decline of the racing industry is apparent through horse breeding statistics.
In 2002, about 4,500 foals were bred. By last year, that number had dropped to just around 1,000. The PCS aims to provide significant support to Florida’s breeding industry. With these additional incentives in place, supporters hope the breeding industry will not only recover, but emerge more resilient and stronger than before.
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Florida’s jobless rate increased for the first time in about a half year to start 2025.
FloridaCommerce released the January figures showing that the unemployment rate came in at 3.5%. That’s the first increase in about a half year.
The rate held steady at 3.4% for the back half of 2024. Prior to that, the rate remained at 3.3% for most of early last year.
There were 390,000 people out of work in January in Florida out of a total labor force of 11,188,000 people in the state. That total labor force figure is the highest number Florida has ever seen.
“Florida continues to prove that leadership and conservative fiscal policies drive success,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis. “We will keep the momentum going by insisting on reducing government spending, continuing to eliminate bureaucracy, and finding more tax reductions for Floridians.”
While Florida’s jobless rate increased in January, it still remains lower than the national rate, which is 4%. The Sunshine State has maintained a lower jobless figure than the national number for 51 straight months.
Miami-Dade County had the lowest unemployment rate in the state for January at 2.4%, slightly down from December’s 2.5%. But compared to a year ago, January’s unemployment rate saw a 0.5-percentage-point increase from last year.
Sumter County had the highest unemployment rate in the state in January at 6.9%.
Among major metropolitan areas in Florida, Fort Myers and Pensacola shared the dubious distinction of having 4% unemployment rates in January, the highest among large metro areas. Both were increases month-to-month and compared to January 2024.
Jacksonville and Tampa each had a 3.8% unemployment rate in January. Both were increases from a year ago, and each had an increase from the December unemployment rate.
Palm Beach County registered a 3.7% jobless figure in January. That figure was also up for the month and the year-over-year comparison.
The Orlando area also had an increase in the jobless figure, coming in at 3.6%. As was the same with other major metro areas, that figure was an increase for the month and the year.
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