By Bloodhorse.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Oct. 1, 2020) — On Sept. 29, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill from California Sen. Bill Dodd meant to improve horse racing safety across the state and build on reforms adopted last year, the senator’s office said in a news release.
The governor also signed a second horse racing bill, co-authored by Dodd and California Assemblyman Adam Gray, that incorporated recommendations from the California Horse Racing Board.
“The horse racing industry must accept and adopt forward-thinking solutions as the health and welfare of the sport’s human and equine athletes are paramount to their future in California,” Newsom said in the release. “These bills are an essential step to create a safer and more transparent horse racing experience for everyone involved and can serve as a model for other states to follow.”
“Making horse racing safer for horses and jockeys is critical for the future of this sport,” Dodd added. “Thanks to Gov. Newsom for signing my bill, which will help ensure track conditions are right and horses are fit before they hit the starting gate.”
In the winter and spring of 2019, a spike in fatalities at Santa Anita Park and subsequent deaths elsewhere ultimately led California tracks and the CHRB to take proactive steps to reduce catastrophic injuries. These deaths led some people opposed to horse racing to call for its end in California.
Dodd wrote Senate Bill 469, which was signed by Newsom, allowing the CHRB to suspend racing at tracks where dangerous conditions exist. The CHRB has taken no such action since its passage.
This year, Dodd followed up with Senate Bill 800, which incorporates reforms recommended by the CHRB, including improved veterinary medical review prior to races and increased transparency in drug testing. The second bill, AB 1974, provides additional safeguards.
Dodd chairs the Senate Governmental Organization Committee, which sets policy for the horse racing industry.