Monmouth Park Subsidy Bill Pocket Vetoed by Governor

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy pocket vetoed a bill that would have sent additional money to Monmouth Park to go toward its race purses.

However, Murphy told Monmouth Park CEO and chairman Dennis Drazin that the reason for the pocket veto—which means the governor took no action rather than outright vetoing the bill—is the bill passed during a lame-duck legislative session at the end of the 2023-24 session. Drazin said that Murphy expressed confidence that the bill will get approval sometime this year during the legislative session. 

"The governor emphasized how much he supports the racing industry, wants to continue to support it, but just doesn't think lame-duck is the process that we should be doing this type of legislation," Drazin said. 

The bill passed by a 35-1 vote Jan. 8 with the expectation that Murphy would sign the bill into law. But Drazin said that Murphy expressed his reluctance to pass anything that was approved during lame-duck session. The one opposing vote to the bill was not re-elected. 

"There was unanimous support in the assembly. There was one vote against in the Senate and that senator was voted out. He's not there anymore," Drazin explained. "And I think there's support on both sides of the aisle and the governor is willing to sign it. So I do think it will get done. 

"Would I prefer that we had this bill signed since it was on his desk with very little opposition? Yeah, sure. I wish he would have signed it. But ... he's always supported us. He is a friend to the industry. He's made an emphatic commitment that we'll get this done."

The bill approved earlier this month allocated $20 million annually toward horse racing purses in the state, something New Jersey already has in place. But the current law has the subsidies going to purses until state fiscal year 2023, with the budget for 2024 also providing the same subsidy. That $20 million is split between Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing.

Because the state already had the subsidy lined up for the 2024 fiscal year, Monmouth Park was never in any danger of losing the $10 million allocated for its overnight purses this year. 

One difference between the current policy and the bill that Murphy did not sign is that the vetoed bill required the appropriation of funds for horse racing purses for an additional five fiscal years, through fiscal year 2029.

Drazin expressed confidence that whenever the new bill comes up, it will provide funding for multiple years. The funding for 2024 was a one-year appropriation. 

"The governor is a friend, I trust him. He says he'll get it done. So I take him at his word," Drazin said.