Lt. Governor Dan Patrick Statement on Texas Racing Commission



 

AUSTIN – The senate members of the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) today unanimously agreed to keep the agency open through the first quarter of the 2016 fiscal year.

The Legislature has already appropriated $15.4 million to the agency but voted to make the Commission’s administrative funds totaling $1.5 million subject to LBB approval. The Senate LBB members did not approve release of the Commission’s administrative funding but agreed to let the Commission’s transfer funds already appropriated to cover the cost of administrative functions for three months.

“I fully support the proposal by senate members to allow the commission to use their existing appropriation dollars to continue covering administrative costs while racing board members adjust their focus from expansion of gaming to their statutory purpose of enforcing the Texas Racing Act and its rules to ensure the safety, integrity, and fairness of Texas pari-mutuel racing,” said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

“We have been looking for a way to avoid a shutdown,” said Senator Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound and chair of the Senate Finance Committee. “Last week’s actions were disappointing, and we cannot look the other way when an agency exceeds its authority, defies the Constitution and picks fights with the Legislature.”