Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi issues statement on Vernon Downs:
“Last night, the Assembly passed a major bill to help Vernon Downs but in my opinion it did not go far enough. That’s why, even though Vernon Downs is not in my Assembly district, I sought approval to race another bill to the Assembly floor before the end of session that would save Vernon Downs even more dollars so the owners would not close the facility. Sadly, this last minute push did not result in passing the second bill. Therefore, I pledge to work with Assemblyman Magee–whose district includes Vernon Downs–on continued efforts to buoy this local business and will immediately consider new legislation to drop the moment the legislative session restarts.
“While the bill that passed the Assembly would have saved Vernon Downs over $200,000 a month to help cover their losses, it was not acceptable to the owners of the track. I will absolutely continue to work to pass legislation to keep Vernon Downs open when the legislature returns to session in the fall to finish other outstanding issues. My hope is the owners of Vernon Downs will continue to negotiate in good faith with the state to avoid having to lay off the hundreds of workers at Vernon Downs.”