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FILE – In this May 15, 2018 file photo, people walk outside of a building at Pimlico Race Course as preparations take place for the Preakness Stakes horse race, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
ANNAPOLIS — Leading Republicans in Maryland’s Democrat-dominated General Assembly remain wary of legislation authorizing a $372.9 million deal to keep the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, but there is potential that the proposal will earn bipartisan support.
A pair of Republican lawmakers said Monday that multiple issues with the Racing and Community Development Act of 2020 need to be worked out. Those concerns range from paying for the project with state debt to declining public interest in horse racing.
“I’m very concerned about the overall financial commitment,” said Del. Kathy Szeliga, R-Baltimore and Harford.
Despite the trepidation, Republicans have not decided universally to oppose the bill, and at least one of the party’s leaders said he’s inclined to back the proposal.
Sen. J.B. Jennings, the minority leader, said he supports keeping the Preakness Stakes — the second jewel in thoroughbred horse racing’s Triple Crown — in Baltimore. Currently, the senator said, he’s inclined to vote for the proposal if certain issues are addressed.
“I tentatively support the bill,” said Jennings, who represents Harford and Baltimore counties.
Jennings said he wants to hear more about the legislation’s details during a committee hearing, which is slated for 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. The House Ways and Means Committee will also hold a hearing at the same time.
Whether he votes for the legislation depends on whether the Maryland Stadium Authority maintains control of Pimlico Race Course once it is redeveloped, Jennings said.
The Maryland Stadium Authority has experience managing such facilities, Jennings said, and Baltimore faces enough issues without worrying about maintaining the property.
“Not all Republicans are onboard, but those who are will say the same thing,” he said.
Plans to demolish Pimlico Race Course include reorienting the track and replacing it with a facility used primarily for community recreation when it is not hosting the Preakness Stakes.
Under the deal, once renovations are complete the city would be in charge of maintaining most of the property.
Backers of the plan propose the Maryland Stadium Authority issue up to $375 million in debt to pay for overhauling Laurel Park in Anne Arundel County as well as for overhauling Pimlico.
Plans to repay the debt include dedicating 80% of annual funds from the Racetrack Facility Renewal Account, which amounts to about $8.5 million a year, to the Racing and Community Development Fund created by the legislation.
Those renewal funds, however, are slated to be redirected to the Education Trust Fund in 2032. The legislation proposes using Maryland lottery revenues to cover that portion of the debt once the funds sunset to the Education Trust Fund.
Szeliga, the House minority whip, said her concerns about the legislation range from the length of time Maryland will be repaying the debt to whether it makes sense to build new facilities as interest in horse racing declines.
Legislators are also debating the expansion of Maryland’s sales tax to include certain services to pay for improvements to public education recommended by the Kirwan Commission.
Szeliga said constituents keep asking her where the money from the lottery, slot machines and casino gaming — money supposed to help pay for public education — is going.
“I can’t tell you how many people ask, ‘Where’s the lottery money going?'” Szeliga said.
Before the state invests in a facility to host the Preakness, she said, the city also needs to address its struggles with violent crime.
“I really think Baltimore city needs to be focused on crime and getting a grip on that crisis before we put more money into another facility,” she said.
The most influential Republican in Annapolis, Gov. Larry Hogan, has yet to say publicly whether he supports the proposal. On Monday, a spokesman for the governor said: “Governor Hogan has consistently said that he would like to see the Preakness stay in Baltimore. He will certainly review any legislation that comes to his desk.”
The governor’s statement, like his previous statements, fell short of embracing the deal proposed by lawmakers, Baltimore and The Stronach Group, which owns the tracks via the Maryland Jockey Club.
It’s not only Republicans who have yet to say publicly whether they back the proposal.
Del. Michele Guyton, D-Baltimore County, who serves on the Ways and Means Committee, declined to say if she supports the bill before the committee hearing.
Her district includes the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, which is home to a horse racing track in need of investment. Following a presentation to Baltimore and Baltimore County delegations on the Preakness bill in late January, Guyton raised questions about funding for the fairgrounds.
Guyton said Monday that she intends to introduce legislation, similar to a bill she filed last year, steering Racetrack Facility Renewal Account funds to pay for work at the fairgrounds track.
“I’m just hopeful we’ll be supported,” she said.
