In New York, changing any of the state’s massive racing laws has always been a challenge, even for the simplest-sounding amendments.
Consider Section 218 of the Pari-Mutuel Racing, Wage and Breeding Laws. There used to be a strong theory of writing that the specific regulation, which required a member of the regulatory board that oversees the racing industry, would act as interim race manager. time if the agency’s designated manager is absent or incapable of appointing one of the other two managers — those appointed by the Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred corporation where a race is taking place .
But that was the era when the New York State Wage and Racing Commission existed and its members were paid full time.
Its successor, the New York State Game Commission, has been around since 2013, and its members serve without pay.
So, at least since 2016, there have been efforts to remove that ordinance in Section 218—a change that requires only six words to be removed and one more word added. Each year, the idea has not been passed by both houses of the legislature. For a time, it died on the New York State Assembly. It then died in the Senate in more recent times.
This year, however, it passed easily in both houses and was signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul a week ago.
The state’s gaming commission notes that its predecessor never even actually needed to appoint one of its board members in an emergency to fill in as the manager at a race track.
Brad Maione, a spokesman for the NYSGC, said: “Since Gaming commissioners are now salaried employees, this change in procedure only eliminates that eligibility and burden. law.
The legislator who authored this year’s bill – Sen. Joseph Addabbo and Rep. Stacey Pheffer Amato, both Democrats – said in a written explanation of their measure that it was “practical” to ask for full-time race committee members Old cars and wages “add to their job duties the necessity of being a manager at a Thoroughbred racetrack.”
But she said the current members of the Game Commission are volunteers working outside the government and it would be “an undue burden” if they had to “spend uncompensated time performing their duties”. temporary management.” They note that committee members may lack the basic knowledge and expertise to perform many of the duties required of a manager.
A better system, the lawmakers stated in their new law, would be if there was a need for a temporary manager whom the commission could appoint and pay someone with the necessary knowledge to perform the work.
