illi News - Peter Coe Verbica Stands with Rural Families and Horse Owners: "Keep Horses Classified as Livestock"

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Congressional Candidate Pete Verbica horseback

Ranch Rodeo at the Coe Ranch - circa 1898

Winnifred Coe Verbica as a girl at Pine Ridge

California politicians need to appreciate the equestrian, farming and ranching communities.

BAY AREA, Calif. - illiNews -- US Congressional candidate Peter Coe Verbica today called on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and the Planning Department to reject proposed zoning changes that would remove horses from the "livestock" classification — a move that has stirred deep concern among equestrians, ranchers, and rural property owners.

Under the county's draft Rural Zoning Amendments, horses could lose their long-standing agricultural status, potentially subjecting stable owners and boarding operations to new and costly land-use restrictions, special permitting requirements, and tax changes.

"Reclassifying horses as something other than livestock is more than a bureaucratic tweak — it's an attack on the rural character and heritage of Santa Clara County," Verbica said. "For generations, horses have been part of our agricultural fabric, our local economy, and our family traditions. This proposal threatens to upend all of that."

Verbica, who grew up on a cattle ranch in Santa Clara County, warned that such measures would "squeeze out small stable owners and make it nearly impossible for the next generation of riders, 4-H participants, and working families to enjoy and care for horses in this county."

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"As someone who understands ranching, property rights, and responsible land stewardship, I'm standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our equestrian community," Verbica added. "County leaders should be working to simplify compliance — not re-define the meaning of agriculture in a way that punishes responsible horse owners."

Verbica emphasized that horses are integral to California's agricultural economy — supporting farriers, feed stores, veterinarians, trainers, and breeders across the state — and that arbitrary reclassification could ripple through those sectors.

"This is about more than horses," Verbica said. "It's about protecting rural life, property rights, and common sense. If elected to Congress, I will continue to champion those values at the federal level — where over-regulation too often harms the very people who care most about the land."

About Peter Coe Verbica

Peter Coe Verbica is a fifth-generation California native, a Managing Director at Silicon Private Wealth and a former County Party Chair. The heart of Henry Coe State Park, the second largest state park in Northern California, was donated by his family. He is a graduate of Santa Clara University, Santa Clara University School of Law, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Bellarmine College Preparatory. He is the author of Hard-Won Cowboy Wisdom, father of four, and an advocate for self-reliance, entrepreneurship, and preservation of rural heritage. Verbica is running for US Congress (California District 19) to restore fiscal sanity, defend property rights, and bring balance back to government. CD19 covers significant areas of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. For more information on his commonsense policies, please go to: www.peterverbica.com

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