Texas Poker Bill Dies for 2009

[Dallas12]

SOURCE POKERNEWS

A bill to allow poker to be held at racetracks in Texas is officially dead. Following the second reading of a bill already trimmed back from an earlier and broader version, Texas State Rep. Jose Menendez chose to postpone his legislation until June 2nd, 2009, one day after the current session’s end on June 1st, thus ensuring its demise. The bill, HB 222, would have allowed poker games and tournaments to be held under the supervision of the Texas Lottery Commission. The original version of the legislation would also have allowed poker at local bars and restaurants, but as the bill made its way through the process, that provision was removed in an attempt to increase the bill’s chances for passage.

Knowing that Gov. Rick Perry would veto any legislation that would expand gambling in the state, Rep. Menendez chose to take a diplomatic approach when his bill came up on the House calendar Thursday evening. The legislator had a brief dialogue about the bill, stating that he has offered similar legislation the past three sessions so that players could play poker without having to be worried about either being raided by local police or from thieves breaking into a home game to rob them. Certain that he didn't have at least 100 votes on the bill in the House, Menendez elected to suspend his bill, thereby allowing other pressing legislation to be debated in the waning days of the current session.

A looming state deficit this year seemed to increase the chances that legislation favorable to poker’s expansion could succeed in Texas. Millions of dollars leave the state as residents travel to adjacent states to gamble in Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico casinos. However, billions in federal stimulus funds were provided to the state, rendering any gambling legislation a lost cause for this session. The state legislature meets every two years, meaning any poker legislation will have to wait until late 2010 to be introduced, and January 2011 is the earliest such a bill could pass through the Texas state legislative process.

[PANAMHIEST]

yeah im from texas and was a active voice in this poker bill with poker players alliance. I was fairly pissed off to hear that the bill was not given consideration but yet they wanna worry about dog kennels and puppy mills, no offense to all the puppy lovers out there, but jesus are the elected officials of this state so ***ing ignorant that they cant get thier head outta thier arses and see that poker would likely biring in just as much if not more than or states current lottery distribution system? Las vegas alone generates more revenue in tourism and the attraction of gaming casinoes than the entire state of texas. Need i say more? Of course i do, becuase after sending several letters in favor of this bill, its seems i will have to scream at the top of my lungs for my voice to be heard, and if that dont work i can send this old fockers a discount off a new purchase of hearing aids at belton. Nothing is wrong with playing poker and wishing to one day have a decent sum of money to not have to worry so much about how your gonna pay your bills next month. There is nothing wrong with the countless amount of jobs that bill would or could have produced, There is something wrong with the elected officials of this state, thier inability to raise our minimum wage so that we can keep up with the cost of living in this ***ed up state, there is something wrong with not giving a damn about perfectly law abiding citizins such as myself, not even getting consideration in passing this bill. Politics piss me off, and I dont give a rats arse about any political figure who cant see what this bill should have done for our state had it been passed.