4036

VETOES

of House Bill 1077 by the amendment which deleted the
reference to a specific test to be administered, I have
decided to veto House Bill 1077.

Sincerely,

/s/ Marvin Mandel

Governor

Letter from State Department of Agriculture on H. B. 1077

April 24, 1975
Honorable Marvin Mandel
Governor
State House
Annapolis, Maryland 21204

Dear Governor Mandel:

Your attention is directed to House Bills 1077 and
1078 of which I am deeply concerned.

For quite a few years, Maryland has been faced with
Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA). This matter was brought
to the attention of the horse industry but they expressed
little interest in developing a program. After seeing
that other states were developing a program that might
prevent the movement of Maryland horses interstate, the
industry approached us last year and requested our
assistance.

Many states moved into a similar program too swiftly
and found they had assumed a task much greater than their
potential and then had to withdraw and regroup with a
less extensive program. We have tried to take advantage
of the experience of other states and are moving slowly
to develop a workable program. Re have regulations to
require certain procedures be followed when a positive
reactor is found to protect other horses from the
infection.

On March 18th a hearing was held on regulations to
require all horses entering the State, to have been
tested within the last year. (The Racing Commission is
requiring a yearly test of track entries). Be have the
authority, through the last Legislature, to control the
public sale of horses in Maryland as soon as we can
develop plans. Your signing of House Bill 30 as soon as
possible would give us this authority. We are now
preparing regulations to require testing all horses in
shows. This is a very difficult program to develop and a
great deal of emotionalism is involved; it is felt we
must move cautiously.