Business

Anti-Doping And Single Commission Horse Racing Bills Overcome First Hurdle

Two bills related to the horse racing industry in the territory were acted upon favorably and will head to the Committee on Rules and Judiciary, after senators who make up the Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture, chaired by Senator Neville James, generally agreed with the contents of the bills. They were encouraged in their support of the measures by a host of testifiers, they too agreeing with the bills, although some called for more review before the legislation could become law. Bill No. 32-0092, seeks to establish a single horse racing commission in the territory, as compared to the current setup that sees St. Thomas and St. Croix having separate commissions. The bill was introduced to the Senate along the “The Virgin Islands Horse Racing Industry Assistance Act of 2016", the landmark agreement ratified last year with local casino operator VIGL Operations, LLC, to revitalize the territory’s horse racing industry, a deal with about $30 million. Yesterday, however, it w...