PRESS Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA INQUIRIES
240-686-3510 | media@mdpolicy.org

ROCKVILLE, MD (March 18, 2023) — The Maryland General Assembly is considering legislation to transfer ownership of the Pimlico Race Course to the state, rebuild the facility, and construct a new training facility. The cost of the plan to taxpayers will be at least $400 million.
 

Maryland Public Policy Institute President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Summers issued the following statement in response:

Maryland politicians’ desire to pile more of the horse racing industry’s bills onto the people is conclusive proof that our leadership in Annapolis is fiscally deranged. The state is already facing historic financial difficulties, and Democratic lawmakers are digging through citizens’ pockets for an additional $1.2 billion in tax revenue. In times of financial difficulty like this, government should prioritize spending for essential projects at a responsible price. Instead, they’re busily adding to the problem.

To make matters worse, this bill would force Marylanders to pay for something that they’ve already paid for. Between 2011 and 2019 Maryland government authorities handed $450 million in taxpayer money to the horse racing industry to improve their racetracks. Yet, the facilities remained derelict. So, in 2020 government decided to double their effort with another $389 million of Marylanders’ money. Yet, four years later, the facilities remain derelict. So, now, lawmakers not only want to increase that 2020 bill to more than $400 million but take ownership of the track. This would put the citizens of Maryland on the hook for the perpetual cost of keeping the slowly dying horse racing industry on life support.

If doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity, what does it say when politicians want to do the same thing over and over forever? Thankfully, there is still time for lawmakers to prove their sanity and reject the horse racing industry bailout bill.

The Maryland Public Policy Institute is a nonpartisan public policy research and education organization that focuses on state policy issues. The Institute’s mission is to formulate and promote public policies at all levels of government based on principles of free enterprise, limited government, and civil society. Learn more at mdpolicy.org.