NEWS & VIEWS continued
lished; would provide for the uses, purposes, sources of funding, investment of money, and auditing of the Fund; require the Executive Di- rector of the Governor’s Offi ce of Crime Con- trol and Prevention (GOCCP) to administer the Fund; provide that the Fund is a continu- ing, nonlapsing fund not subject to specifi ed provisions of law; etc. T e various county animal control divisions
have long been seeking a mechanism by which they can pay for contracts with nonprofi ts to shelter and care for seized animals. While most local animal control facilities can handle small animals, they are generally not equipped to han- dle livestock. T is, theoretically, could help them fi nd ways to accommodate seizure of livestock.
SB 790/HB 455 - Animal Cruelty standards As it had the backing of the States Attorneys Association, and given the simplicity and the purpose of the bill, these were bills that had high odds of passage from the get-go – and they have. Each version has been passed with- out amendments and has crossed over to the opposite chamber. T is bill essentially cleans up and organizes the existing statutes so that when individuals are charged with misdemean- or or felony neglect or cruelty, the charges are more clearly defi ned.
LAND-RELATED
HB 155 MD Ag Land Preservation Founda- tion – Easement Termination Passed and crossed over to the Senate, this bill
would make pre-2004 MALF easements eligi- ble for termination “only under extraordinary circumstances” as opposed to when profi table farming is no longer feasible.
HB 109/SB102: Repealing Certain Fence Law Provisions in St. Mary’s County
Both versions have passed without amend- ments and crossed over. For more about
Maryland State fencing laws, and to fi nd out the most popular fencing materials and fenc- ing companies in Maryland, turn to page 21 of this issue.
SB254/HB1174 - Tax Incentive for Conser- vation Easements T e Senate version of this bill has crossed
over and will be heard this week in the House. It would provide a subtraction modifi cation under the Maryland income tax for the fi rst $250,000 in proceeds from the sale of a per- petual conservation easement on real property in the state.
SB 178/HB 606 – Bowie Race Course – State Purchase or Condemnation Holy crackers, was this bill amended! It bears almost no resemblance to the original bill, and almost quadrupled the number of sponsors. It even has a new name! T e amended bill, now sponsored by 11 Sena- tors instead of 3, is now called “Racetrack Facil- ity Renewal Account – Eligibility and Capital
Getting social with The Equiery! continued... Instagram
(@equiery) March was a
diverse month on Instagram! Our fi rst post in March was of our March 2017 front cov- er featuring the lovely photo of
Barbara Strawson and Amicelli performing their last salute together at the Dressage, By Chance? show in August. We later reposted a photo from the Washington International Horse Show, with a call out for Junior Commit- tee Members. We felt the love when we posted a photo of the damage by our offi ce after a violent windstorm blew through much of Maryland on March 1. Our March Instagram feed ended with two posts from the Loch Moy Cross Derby. Videos of Kathryn Hansen and Social Code jump- ing the Training Level Course, and Margaret McKelvy and Runsonstilts were well received with lots of views and likes. Sadly, two of our posts this month were devoted to the recent passing of Marion Scullin, and they
IF YOU HAVE NEWS, VIEWS OR UPDATES TO CONTRIBUTE, PLEASE SEND THEM TO Editor at The Equiery, P.O. Box 610, Lisbon, MD 21765 • FAX: 410-489-7828 • email
editor@equiery.com.
Be sure to include your full name, phone number and address. All submissions become the property of The Equiery.
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both prove not only how much she was loved in the community, but also how much she will be missed. If you have a photo you would like to share with us on Instagram, send it to editor@equiery.
Expenditures.” No mention of Bowie in the title, but it pops up in the amended version of the bill. T e original bill, which just dealt with Bowie
Race Course Training Center, pertained only to the articles for Business Regulation, Section 11-519(a) and section 11-521, and would have authorized the state to acquire, by purchase or condemnation for public use with just compen- sation, the Bowie Race Course Training Center if the owners (the Maryland Jockey Club) did not meet specifi ed requirements in the new law. Well, forget all of that. T e amended version of the Senate bill deals also with Business Regulation, Section 11- 519(a), but removes 11-521 from consider- ation and instead includes the sections of code pertaining to the race track renewal accounts (specifi cally various subsections under section 9 in the articles for State Government). Wow. Okay, so what do the amendments do to the existing racetrack renewal accounts? T e current law states that all racetracks have a master plan for capital improvements to the tracks, with an ongoing investment in capital maintenance and improvements of $1,500,000 annually. T e law did not specify which tracks or how much per track. T e amended bill, if passed, would require that the following minimum amounts be spent on the tracks as specifi ed: · $1,500,000 for improvements to Laurel and Pimlico combined · $300,000 for improvements to Rosecroft · $300,000 for improvements to Ocean Downs
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