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Some Texas lawmakers are again flirting with vice taxation, a path that never pays for the state of Texas or its citizens.
The renewed interest comes as major money is being spent to advance the cause of casino and online sports betting in Texas.
Texas Family Project opposes the expansion of gambling in Texas.
The last time gambling was expanded by the creation of the lottery in 1991 it was sold as a way to cure our budget woes and fund education. Today, infamously, it funds just three days of education.
While it has failed to live up to the funding hype, it has acted as a persistent economic drain on the swaths of Texans who can least afford to lose money.
The big three in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dade Phelan have carved out unique positions on the subject of gambling expansion in the 2023 legislative session.
Governor Greg Abbott and Speaker Dade Phelan are pushing for the legalization of sports betting and are sympathetic to other forms of gambling.
Governor Abbott went as far to say that legal sports betting is “just really a form of entertainment” despite the fact that it directly harms families.
Speaker Phelan is ready to see "high quality" casinos operate in Texas. It’s possible the Speaker is ignorant of the destructive impact gambling has on families and communities, or, he doesn’t care.
Historically, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has been staunchly against any form of gambling. During the 2021 legislative session he stated sports betting legislation would “never see the light of day” in the Senate.
Patrick carried the same sentiments heading into the 2023 session.
However, a long time ally of Patrick, Senator Lois Kolkhorst has filed legislation in the Senate to legalize sports betting. She is matched in the House by Representative Jeff Leach who filed an identical bill. HB 42 will have a hearing in the State Affairs committee on Wednesday, March 23.
Additionally, Senator Carol Alvarado (D), filed Senate Joint Resolution 17 which would allow casino gambling to take place in Texas. Notably, her bill is not mirrored in the House.
Don’t worry, we’ll continue to monitor the status of this legislation and other bills that if passed would harm the family unit.
We’ll also be providing additional information about the harmful effects of gambling, weaving the economic realities the industry has on states and countries where it’s legal with our passion for the family.
Any elected official who works to diminish our values will be met by our engaged pro-family army ready to stomp on bad legislation.
Texas lawmakers need to be proactive in protecting Texans from predation whether it be in school libraries, pornographic content on the internet or gambling.