DeSantis issues public support for Florida horsemen in decoupling fight
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Thursday at a staged public appearance at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2-year-old sale that he would not “look favorably on legislation that is going to decimate any of our signature industries,” a statement that pours cold water on the prospects of a legislation that would allow Gulfstream Park to decouple its racing and casino licenses.
The statements, which were distributed in a video by a lobbying group, the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative, formed to oppose the decoupling effort, were made from the auction ring at OBS.
Damon Thayer, a senior adviser to the group, said in an interview on Thursday that TRI had been working with the governor’s office to get him to address the legislative effort, which is supported by Gulfstream but opposed by every other major Thoroughbred constituency in the state.
“TRI thanks Gov. DeSantis for his visit to OBS today and his strong statement supporting the working horsemen and women of Florida’s horse industry,” Thayer said.
DeSantis did not explicitly say that he would veto any decoupling legislation, but the signal to the Florida legislature was clear.
“I understand the importance of the industry to the state, not just in terms of the economy, which it is important, but the culture and way of life, and things that people have known for many generations,” DeSantis said. “So we’ll be looking at what ends up being produced in the Florida legislature. But you can count me as one who will not look favorably on legislation that is going to decimate [an industry].”
DeSantis’s second term ends in 2026. He cannot run for a third term as governor. DeSantis has said that he will not be seeking a seat for the U.S. Senate in the future.
Legislation allowing for decoupling has advanced out of two House committees and a Senate committee. The House committee would guarantee live racing for at least five years, and the Senate version would guarantee live racing for seven years.
The state’s racing and breeding industries have opposed the legislation at every step along its advancement. Officials for TRI have said that they believe the legislation will be easier to defeat in the Senate than in the House.
Earlier this week, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government postponed a hearing on the bill on the same day that the decoupling legislation was tacked on to a larger gambling bill in the House Commerce Committee, which advanced the bill on a 17-9 vote.
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