AUSTIN, Tx. — The Texas Legislature's discussions about eliminating the state lottery are moving forward.
House Speaker Joe Straus on Thursday announced his appointments to the Legislative Committee to Review the Texas Lottery and Texas Lottery Commission, a new panel charged with studying the ramifications of ending the lottery, along with examining charitable bingo and how its revenue is distributed.
The appointees include three Harris County lawmakers, one of whom is a vocal lottery critic.
Houston Democrat Garnet Coleman has accused the lottery commission of a cozy relationship with the game operator and criticized how most players are poor. He will be joined by Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston; Rick Miller, R-Sugar Land; Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake and co-chair John Kuempel, R-Seguin.
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst will choose five senators for the committee, which is to report its findings and recommendations by Dec. 1.
The committee came out of last session's House Bill 2197, which by passing allowed the lottery to continue after an unexpectedly fierce debate in which the state House voted for elimination before reversing itself.
Related:
- Texas House votes to abolish state lottery, April 23, 2013
- Texas House reconsiders vote to abolish lottery commission, April 23, 2013
Discussions about killing the lottery arose after a review by the Sunset Advisory Commission, which evaluates state agencies every 10 years. The Legislature must approve a version of the sunset commission's recommendations for most agencies — including the lottery commission — to continue to exist.
The routine sunset measure unexpectedly ignited a fierce debate as Democrats and Republicans argued the lottery preys on poor people. The bill was initially defeated 81-65, leading state Rep. Linda Harper Brown to declare from the dais that "the lottery commission is gone." But concerns about how to replace the more than $2 billion budget hole that would create led to a new vote in which the lottery survived 92-53.
In a Thursday statement, Straus said that, "the House had a healthy and productive discussion about the Texas Lottery last year, and this committee will continue that discussion."
"I hope these Members will take an objective and thorough look at how the lottery and charitable bingo impact our state," he said.
Well...
These a**holes just won't quit until they succeed.
W/ a 2 Billion dollar budget hole the Texas lottery is going nowhere !
Discussions about killing the lottery arose after a review by the Sunset Advisory Commission, which evaluates state agencies every 10 years.
Who is this Sunset Advisory Commission and why do they believe they know what's best for the citizens of Texas?
They have been needed to do that in Tennesssee for a long time.
The lotto players in Texas could start a online petition to keep it ?
Who is this Sunset Advisory Commission and why do they believe they know what's best for the citizens of Texas?
The Sunset Advisory Commission evaluates all state commissions, not just lottery.
I believe you can find the latest advisory posted at the website www.txlottery.org.
The commission didn't recommend the lottery be disbanded, they just made some recommendations to improve
how it functions.
They recommended the commission be expanded to 6 members, which was adopted.
I believe they raised some questions on how Director Gary Grief is running the show.
Grief has made some controversial decisions, including attempted adoption of a new game that is under Attorney General
review. It's alleged that the game doesn't meet constitutional requirements, ie. gaming, not lottery.
It's alleged that Grief is actually a undercover agent for GTECH, the lottery operator.
GTECH won the recent contract that some folks say increases their profits at the expense of Texas education.
The current Commission Chairman Krause has a questionable background, particularly regarding some tax claims.
There is a lotto report website owned by a Dallas resident ,Dawn Nettles, that provides some details on current and past issues.
They better stop it ,
because with the Advantage Pro Time Traveling System..
The wins always ends up in Texas..
Anyways before this state closes
We will go heavier on the Texas Bets until then..
Scaredy Cats...
Sounds like players in Texas need to do this, to keep their Lottery around.
..the Sunset advisory committee is comprised of folks who have " rode into the sunset" ..and for some reason have returned to throw in their 2 cents into this ongoing debate.How else does one explain a 10 year debate?
Appointing folks who are rocking chair bound to a committee of any kind is folly!
Killing the Texas lottery, is equivalent to killing oil drilling in Texas. That will never happen.
Why are these people giving more GRIEF to an individual named Gary Grief. Don't they think he has enough grief in his life already?. He does not deserve any more grief from anybody. If he wants more grief in his life, he can consult with his wife and they can make little grief babies. The kind of grief that brings joy not grief into your life.
Texas Lottery Commission, a new panel charged with studying the ramifications of ending the lottery,
along with examining charitable bingo and how its revenue is distributed.
Really, they're going to pick on Bingo players
that's cold lol
" Garnet Coleman has accused the lottery commission of a cozy relationship with the game operator and criticized how most players are poor."
It will be interesting to see how Coleman substantiates these assertions. I would like to know what Coleman means by "most".
I am open to seeing the exact evidence and numbers. Certainly Coleman wouldn't make off the cuff assertions so I expect the exact numbers to be published quickly.
Once there was a thread here on LP about moving to another state because your state didn't have a lottery or because a different state had a better lottery.
If you did that wouldn't something like this really frost you?
This time around gambling operators seem to have the lead. If you study the history of gambling in the U.S. in the past it has run about a 20 year cycle.it gets approved, expands, and then gets outlawed. Vegas was the exception and now A.C. is falling apart, so ? But we're way past a 20 year mark.
I don't think a state lottery has ever come into being and then got outlawed since NH started in 1964.
One thing this group in Texas doesn't seem to realize is that players are going to find the action. If they get their way 'policy' will make a big comeback.