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^By DEL. ANDY GUEST
R-31st
Today is D-Day - the deadline for us in the General Assembly to submit all of our legislative initiatives and requests to be drafted into what we all hope is clear concise language that will solve constituent problems and not create more.
However, when nearly 48 percent of all Virginia’s legislators are lawyers by profession, it makes it that much more difficult to keep things simple. Common sense looks different in legalese!
Nevertheless, among the issues that I will support this year are:
• A bill calling for a voter referendum to allow horse racing and parimutuel betting in Virginia. Each year more horse breeders in the Commonwealth leave the state to set up business in states where racing is legal. A majority of those who make their living contributing to this $300 million Virginia industry, as well as many of my constituents, have asked me to take their plight to the legislature. A similar voter referendum was narrowly defeated at the polls in 1978. It is the opinion of the horse industry that the atmosphere is right for another chance to save a valuable economic asset in Virginia.
• The Virginia Horse Council would like to establish an Import/ Export Equine Quarantine Station at Dulles Airport. I will put in a study resolution to research the feasibility of such a facility.
• As we know, the executive and legislative branches are famous for mandating programs to localities and then playing Scrooge when it comes to funding the state’s fair
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