Roswell Rep Looks Forward to Finding New Economic Opportunities for Georgia

As the chairman of a state-appointed study committee on the matter, Rep. Harry Geisinger, of Roswell, is committed to finding out if the horse racing industry could benefit Georgia's economy.

"I believe the statistical value to Georgia is high," he said. 

Geisinger, a proponent of , has been informally investigating its economic benefits for the past three years, he said.

But it wasn't until the formation of the six-member study committee, just recently, that Geisinger and several others were given the authorization to move forward with the official study. The committee will need to decide if there are enough positives to bring legislation forward that, if passed by the state House and Senate, would allow voters to decide whether or not to legalize pari-mutuel betting on horses in Georgia.

"My position is that in these hard times we need jobs," Geisinger said. "Horse racing is very labor intensive and would presumably bring in some much needed revenue."

Moving forward, Geisinger says the study committee - which includes Geisinger, Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica) as vice-chairman and Rep. Jon Burns (R-Newington), Malaika Rivers of Marietta, Hank Burnham of Athens, and horse industry expert John A. Damico of Cumming - is expected to meet next week. The group will hear speakers from Georgia and throughout the country that are involved in the horse racing industry.

Any approval by the state legislators to bring the industry to Georgia would require approval by state voters during the November 2012 election. If passed, it would go into effect January 2013.