Equine Bill gets Senate Hearing

OLYMPIA–House Bill 1928, which last week was approved by the House 90-8 and forwarded to the Washington State Senate for consideration, will get a hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee this Thursday, February 24, at 4 p.m.

If signed into law, the bill would allocate sales tax revenue from equine products to support the horse and ag industries in the state, including community horse racing meets like Dayton Days, Waitsburg’s Days of Real Sport and Kennewick’s Sun Downs track. Dayton Days and other community race meets in the area were idled in 2011 by lack of funds from the Washington Horse Racing Commission, brought on by the decline in horse wagering due to competition from casinos and lottery.

Individuals wishing to contribute their comments about the bill may register to give remote testimony or submit written testimony by visiting this website: https://app.leg.wa.gov/CSI/Senate.

The bill is patterned after a Texas law that went into effect in 2019. Since then, according to Doug Moore, executive director of the WHRC, Texas Thoroughbred breeders have experienced a 140% increase in foal production and a race track reported a 78% increase in horse applying and racing in Texas.

At Washington’s Class A track, Emerald Downs in Auburn, some $2.7 million of the $6 million in tax revenue would go to purses and $900,000 would be for equine health and research, and facility upgrades.

Small tracks like Dayton would be allocated a share of $600,000 set aside for non-profit tracks, which would allow increased purses to enable competitiveness with Oregon tracks.

There would be $900,000 for grants for other equine activities, such as 4-H and FFA, and Thoroughbred aftercare, equine therapy ranches, and other ag- and equine-related activities.

The Washington Breeders Bonus Fund would receive $450,000, and the WHRC would receive $450,000 for regulatory costs.