Pokerati | Texas Hold'em and Las Vegas Poker Blog » HB 222

WinStar Nation Closer to Owning Lone Star Park Poker-friendly Indians coming to Texas

DanM — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:26:43 +0000

Oklahoma Indians have long fought against gambling in Texas, but one tribe might be willing to switch teams if they can have this piece of land for $27 million.

Whether it’s a hedge on their part or a sign of things to come … Global Gaming became the “stalking horse bidder” for Lone Star Park yesterday … meaning the Oklahoma Chickasaws have made a $2.7 million deposit (10 percent of their opening bid) toward their serious intent to step across the border and have a hand in the future of Texas gambling.

Should a higher qualified bidder enter the picture, the property will be auctioned off in New York on Oct 7.

Global Gaming LSP, LLC is owned by the Chickasaw Nation, which owns the WinStar World Casino — site of the grandest poker room in the southwest, one patronized almost exclusively by Texans. A week-and-a-half ago the WWC celebrated the grand opening of their new hotel and expanded casino floor, now ~~the 5th~~ ~~3rd~~ one of the largest in the world.

Lone Star Park, meanwhile, is the beautiful but bankrupt racetrack between Dallas and Fort Worth … a site that would’ve become home to one of the first fully legal Texas poker rooms had HB 222 passed.

In that special-interest political fight earlier this year, Texas poker and horse racing interests joined forces, but ultimately were defeated by a loose-knit alliance of Chickasaws, Choctaws, and radical Christians. Should Global Gaming’s purchase of Lone Star Park go through, however, then one of our strongest opponents would effectively defect to the side that wants to see bigger and better poker in Texas.

Texas Poker Bill, Death of

DanM — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:45:13 +0000

Watching this almost makes me wanna cry. Do you realize how close we were to turning Texas race tracks into full-fledged poker rooms? ~~I don’t think you do!~~ But alas, in the end we were killed by something akin to an inverse filibuster … and all in the same week that Annie Duke got slowrolled on Celebrity Apprentice …

In what is arguably nearly as compelling drama, in the above vid Rep. Jose Menendez delivers last rites to HB 222 — but not before being ridiculed and taunted with terrible poker metaphors (delivered in practically Corky-like fashion) from the representatives who were ready to lead the fight against this bill on the floor.

While Texas poker players pushing for fully legal Texas Hold’em did not get the House vote they were looking for, Menendez’s address does mark the first time the game was ever made a real issue in the Texas Legislature. Having achieved such footnote status in the historical almanac, the insinuation on where we go from here is that next time both sides should gear up for a ~~full-on battle~~ spirited debate over a bill looking to create California-style card rooms … in a year where the threat of a veto carries less weight, no less.

HB 222 Officially, Really, Dead

Kevin Mathers — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:19:30 +0000

Rep. Menendez has officially killed HB 222 on the floor of the Texas House, knowing that the Gov. won’t pass. He was able to spend a few minutes discussing why it should be allowed to proceed, only to be interrupted by several bad poker-related puns.

Twitter Your Governor

DanM — Sun, 10 May 2009 22:40:15 +0000

From the PPA:

Hi all,

Texas Gov. Perry is blocking the vote on HB222 (the bill that legalized land-based poker in Texas). Let’s all amp up the pressure!

Contact info:
Phone: (800) 252-9600
Twitter: @GovernorPerry

I believe we should hit with calls and Twitters. This was effective at getting us heard in Minn., so let’s try it here. I wrote up some Tweets to Twitter. It takes just seconds to send these out, so let’s all pitch in!

Click here to send Tweet #1: RT @PPApoker: PLZ tell TX @GovernorPerry at (800) 252-9600 to stop blocking a vote on HB 222, a bill that allows poker in Texas. PLS RT!”

Click here to send Tweet #2: “RT @PPApoker: PLZ tell TX @GovernorPerry at (800) 252-9600 that poker is a game of skill that should be legal in Texas. PLS RT.”

Also, if Perry follows you on Twitter, you can send him a direct message:

Click here to send the direct message: “D GovernorPerry: Texas Hold’em is a game of skill that should be legal in Texas. Can you end your HB222 vote block? THX! http://is.gd/uNvv”

I posted this to P5s at http://www.pocketfives.com/poker-forums/7/new-letter-to-congress-please-send-4240404 and http://www.pocketfives.com/poker-forums/8/texas-poker-legalization-people-living-in-texas-plz-read-4204172 . If you get a chance, please consider posting a message of encouragement there to get others to pitch in. After all, 2+2 responded to this by giving me a warning; P5s responded by stickying my thread for the day (I didn’t ask them to).

Thanks!

Rich

Money Plays: Perry Takes More Gambling Money than Most

DanM — Sun, 10 May 2009 02:04:45 +0000

Our non-friends at Texans Against Gambling told their influential members that they needed to combat big-time casino lobbying dollars supposedly pushing HB 222. However, they don’t tell you who received a lot of those gambling-interest dollars, nor that a some of them were being spent to defeat the bill.

By all means, our good poker friends in Oklahoma have contributed their fair share to keep Texans playing in their Indian nations … but frankly, it’s a very small percentage of the $7.6 million spent on gambling-related Texas politicking in 2007-08 — and they’re not exactly being hypocrites about any of it, save for maybe riding the coattails of those who are.

Top Recipients of Oklahoma Tribal Money

Amount 07-’08	Recipient (Party)	Tribe
$35,000	Lt. Governor David Dewhurst(R)	Choctaw
$25,000	Stars Over Texas PAC(R)	Choctaw
$20,000	Lt. Governor David Dewhurst(R)	Chickasaw
$15,000	TX Repub. Legislative Caucus(R)	Chickasaw
$10,000	Attorney General Greg Abbott(R)	Choctaw
$10,000	Sen. Kip Averitt(R)	Choctaw
$10,000	Sen. Kim Brimer(R)*	Choctaw
$10,000	Rep. Tom Craddick(R)	Chickasaw
$10,000	Sen. Bob Deuell(R)	Choctaw
$10,000	Sen. Kevin Eltife(R)	Choctaw
$10,000	Sen. Chris Harris(R)	Choctaw
$10,000	House Dem. Campaign Com.(D)	Chickasaw
$10,000	Sen. Jane Nelson(R)	Choctaw
$10,000	Sen. Tommy Williams(R)	Choctaw

Click below for an even more interesting look at the Texas pols who taking the most gambling-industry dollars. I wonder how his morality-minded base feels about Gov. Rick Perry coming in at #2, with nearly $800k in gambling-interest love.

Politicians Receiving the Most Gambling Money

Amount (’07 & ’08)	Recipient	Party	Office Held Or Sought	Top Gambling Contributor
$851,350	David Dewhurst	R	Lt. Governor	David Alameel
$793,356	Rick Perry	R	Governor	Peter Holt
$225,000	Joan Huffman	R	S-17	Robert McNair
$157,800	Susan Combs	R	Comptroller	Peter Holt
$155,174	Greg Abbott	R	Attorney General	David Alameel
$146,935	Dan Branch	R	H-108	Harlan Crow
$80,300	Elizabeth Ames Jones	R	Railroad Com.	Peter Holt
$73,250	Kim Brimer*	R	S-10	Joe LaMantia
$71,100	Tom Craddick⁹	R	H-82	Peter Holt
$66,650	Kino Flores	D	H-36	TED PAC
$60,055	Doug Miller	R	H-73	TED PAC
$53,500	Joseph Moody	D	H-78	TED PAC
$53,018	Chris Harris	R	S-9	Johnson & Johnson
$52,075	Michael Williams	R	Railroad Com.	David Alameel
$48,500	Charlie Geren	R	H-99	TED PAC
$47,650	Judith Zaffirini	D	S-21	Johnson & Johnson/TED PAC
$45,500	John Carona	R	S-16	Jack Pratt
$45,250	Kip Averitt	R	S-22	Choctaw/Johnson & Johnson/TED
$44,000	John Whitmire	D	S-15	TED PAC
$43,000	Kirk Watson	D	S-14	TED PAC
$42,750	Juan Hinojosa	D	S-20	TED PAC
$42,611	Carlos Uresti	D	S-19	Kickapoo/TED PAC
$42,000	Juan Escobar*	D	H-43	TED PAC
$40,000	Jon Cole*	R	H-67	David Alameel/TED PAC
$40,000	Pete Gallego	D	H-74	Joe LaMantia/TED PAC
$38,750	Jim Dunnam	D	H-57	Gerald Ford/Joe LaMantia/TED
$38,150	Jeff Wentworth	R	S-25	TED PAC
$38,000	James ‘Mike’ Jackson	R	S-11	Robert McNair/TED PAC
$37,900	Trey Martinez Fischer	D	H-116	Joe LaMantia/TED PAC
$37,200	Aaron Pena	D	H-40	TED PAC
$35,101	Joe Straus III	R	H-121	George Hixon
$34,500	Rodney Ellis	D	S-13	Jack Pratt/TED PAC
$33,851	Dawnna Dukes	D	H-46	TED PAC
$33,558	Bob Romano*	D	H-105	North Texas Leadership PAC
$32,000	Chris Turner	D	H-96	TED PAC
$31,615	Abel Herrero	D	H-34	TED PAC
$31,300	Wendy Davis	D	S-10	North Texas Leadership PAC
$30,185	Juan Garcia*	D	H-32	Anthony LaMantia
$29,500	Kel G. Seliger	R	S-31	Joe LaMantia
$29,075	Wallace Jefferson	R	Supreme Court	Harlan Crow/Peter Holt
$28,404	Craig Eiland	D	H-23	Gerald Ford
$28,250	Joe Jaworski*	D	S-11	Trammell Crow
$27,850	Leticia Van De Putte	D	S-26	TED PAC
$27,600	Diana Maldonado	D	H-52	TED PAC
$27,000	Kevin Bailey*	D	H-140	TED PAC
$27,000	Allen Vaught	D	H-107	TED PAC
$26,500	Rene Oliveira	D	H-37	Jack Pratt
$26,500	Kirk England	D	H-106	TED PAC
$25,500	Tommy Williams	R	S-4	Choctaw Nation

More details about the gambling politi-cash here.

How to Defeat a Ready-to-Pass Bill: Lie What we’re really up against

DanM — Sun, 10 May 2009 01:18:38 +0000

I swear this won’t tilt anybody … but here’s the alert sent out Thursday by Texans Against Gambling to generate enough support for a change of course that, frankly, I still don’t fully understand.

Via the fair-minded, conservative Off the Kuff …

TAG lies have been boldfaced:

Statement from Texans Against Gambling:
Weston Ware, legislative director for Texans Against Gambling, issued this statement today regarding House Bill 222, which legalizes poker, including electronic poker, in Texas. The bill was voted out of Calendars Committee on Thursday and will be scheduled for a floor vote.

“This bill is not about legalizing poker games with friends around the kitchen table. It is a ploy by the pro-gambling industry to crack Texas’ constitutional ban against gambling by making the absurd argument that poker is not a game of chance, but of skill.

“The next time someone uses their skill as a player to get dealt three-of-a-kind, call me.

“HB 222, among other things, would allow electronic poker tables to operate 24/7 in bars and restaurants. These Class III gambling devices mimic the addictive qualities of slot machines based on the speed of play (a good player can go through as many as 12 hands a minute).They have the ability to keep players playing (many video-poker outlets are open 24 hours and it’s not unusual to hear of someone’s playing 36 hours straight). Also, the machines are designed to create the false perception that skill is involved in what is ultimately a game of chance.

“HB 222 flirts recklessly with federal law that says very clearly that if Texas legalizes any type of Class III gambling, the three federally-recognized Indian tribes in Texas may move full tilt into casino gambling Federally recognized tribes from Oklahoma and other states also are poised to leverage “historical properties” in Texas if House Bill 222 passes and Class III games are authorized.

“HB 222 does not limit the amount of the wagers for any poker game. It can be a million dollars, or more. The collections for the state of Texas in this bill, however, are limited to only 18% of a $4 charge per game; only 90 cents per player even if the wagers are a million dollars. By contrast, the Lottery of Texas yields 28 cents for EVERY DOLLAR Wagered: a million dollars wagered in the Lottery would yield $280,000 for Texas. Four players wagering a million dollars in poker game in HB 222 would yield $3.60 for the state of Texas.

“As it is written, HB 222 claims Indian casinos offering poker can be taxed. The Department of the Interior has generally prohibited such taxation. Therefore, Texas would not have the ability to either tax or regulate these gambling enterprises. Do we really want such untouchable cash-based businesses operating alongside drug cartels on our borders?

“HB 222 is a pay-back to the gambling lobby for $7.6 million in donations in 2008. But it’s a stab in the back to Texas citizens who look to their elected representatives for sound decisions about Texas future. Lawmakers should vote no on HB 222.”

TAG is a non-partisan coalition of public policy, political, religious and law enforcement groups that oppose the expansion of predatory gambling in Texas. For more information, go to www.texansagainstgambling.org.

Mr. Weston Ware … though previously I didn’t want you to know what we had going on at Pokerati, I hope you do see this post … because I’ll be honest dude — ~~I wanna punch you in the fuckin’ face!~~ I’d really like to sit down with you and have a talk.

I’m really curious if you were aware of how many mistruths are in your statement — because either you were flat-out consciously lying — or you were not … in which case, when someone can show you irrefutable proof that your alert has some mistakes in it, it should be no problem for you to correct the record and let your followers know that, oops, turns out this bill would not put poker in bars and restaurants — this was a compromise the poker side worked out with your people … did you not get the memo? — and that the Class III gaming machines argument doesn’t really hold water because, you know, if the Heads-Up Pro is a Class III gaming device, then so is Golden Tee.

You also have a mistaken understanding of how the rake works … That’s a little more understandable, because it can be confusing if you don’t play. I’d be happy to clarify.

I’ll save the rest for our phone call … you want me to call you right, about that three-of-a-kind thing? I tried to a phone number for your organization on your website, but couldn’t … so I sent you my info. Look forward to hearing from you soon.

RE: Political WTF in Texas (3) Menendez explains WTF

DanM — Fri, 08 May 2009 23:28:41 +0000

Rep. Jose Menendez stepped away briefly from the House floor to ~~talk me off of tilt~~ learn-me-some political sportsmanship and let concerned Pokeratizens know that no, HB 222 isn’t dead yet … but he may well have to put it to sleep if we can’t out-social-network Texas’ well-heeled right-wing-conservative power base. Why this isn’t proving to be a simple yay or nay, according to Menendez and my hastily scrawled (with an extra-large Sharpie) phone-call interview notes:

[first minute of convo not recorded nor written down]

“We’ve got to have a green light from the governor, because if the guys on the floor know he’s going to veto it, I won’t be able to get enough Rs and even conservative Ds.”
“If we get to it today — and it looks like it won’t be until Monday” … postpone for 12 hours.”
Bringing up “dead bill” = bad process — use up valuable HouseRep time for bill destined for veto, thereby preventing colleagues from getting to their bills.
“You have to consider other legislation … I’m not going to lose years of good will built up [with members of both parties] in the House …”
need it to get something past [sic.]
still have/need [illegible ... something shot at ... casino bill] … 100 votes [something with a C] … next year].
“can’t be pissing people off.”
light up the governor’s office with message that I’m a Texas poker player who votes and want to be able to play safely and legally in Texas.
don’t lie.

Ahh, right, OK … I think I get it. May need to do a follow-up to clarify some of the above.

So this isn’t an R vs. D battle, I’m hearing … and I’m deducing that it’s an internal Republican power play of some sorts — presumably Rick Perry trying to lock up a portion of his party before US Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison comes to town to possibly challenge Perry in the primary?

Republicans aren’t our enemies any more than Christians are, of course … they all count poker players among their ranks, after all, and some of them even run churches that ship senior citizens by the busload to Oklahoma casinos. And since there are plenty of conservatives who support the idea of protecting citizens from harm, their freedom rights, and the state’s right to collect its fair due, we need to encourage them to twist the governor’s arm, too, letting him know … hey, this anti-poker thing is not the best principle for him to take a stand on, yo!

The bad guys, meanwhile, have been running a (grammatically incorrect) bumper-sticker campaign:

… but that was apparently just a cover — they were saving most of their ammo for yesterday and today. (Weak means strong-ish?) Fortunately for us, the House did not get to HB 222 today, so we’ve got a little extra time to replay the down and punch the political football across the goal line.

Contact your representative — Rs and Conservative Ds alike – to reassure them of your support and request their help putting the governor’s mind at ease.

And contact the governor’s automated voice-pulse line to tell him whatever you sincerely would like him to hear:
(800) 252-9600

(If only legislation were as easy as American idol … )

RE: Political WTF in Texas (2) What we’re up against

DanM — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:23:39 +0000

Here’s what we’re up against … I don’t want to alert them that we’re out here trying to muster up the troops … but the “Shmristian Shmlife Association” put out this memo in an attempt to deliver us a bad beat. Also, you can go to [ texans against gambling dot org -- alloneword] to see how they are suddenly putting this issue front and center.

The place that needs to hear from YOU is:

http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/contact.aspx

RE: Political WTF in Texas Don’t let poker get Rick-rolled

DanM — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:46:21 +0000

From the PPA:

Subject: Governor Perry blocking vote on poker bill-Please call now!

Earlier today the Texas House of Representatives was scheduled to vote on HB 222 –- a bill that would license and regulate poker in the state of Texas. I have since learned that this historic moment is being blocked by the Governor Rick Perry.

Please call the Governor’s office today and tell him:

(800) 252-9600

· Allow a vote on HB 222
· Texans should be allowed to play Texas Hold’em.
· Don’t block action on this bill

Please take immediate action!

Proud to play,

www.theppa.org

Political WTF in Texas? Bad river card on its way?

DanM — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:31:31 +0000

I’m following the Texas House here.(Boring, not fun.) And all I can say is I think I’m heartbroken before we’re even rollin’.

Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio), do we even know you anymore? Supposedly Gov. Rick Perry has re-re-changed his position … and so now Menendez is going to not even let the House have their vote? I honestly just don’t understand. We weren’t getting out of that damn calendars committee without his tacit thumbs-up. We got that, no? But now it’s gone? And even if so … why not force him to veto it … put his political aspirations on the line with ~~international press~~ CardPlayer Italia watching?

I know I’m just the political ~~sophomore~~ rookie here, but would he really be willing to go against more than 2/3 of the general voting populace?

With all these last-minute changes and unusual moves … someone is clearly on tilt here. Our opponents (texansagainstgambling.org) launched an all-out assault last night and are fighting har right nowo, so if you want to send any emails — ~~even Jose himself might need a reminder of what we’re here for and who he’s supposed to be representing~~ — you know the drill:

http://legalizepokerintexas.com/

UPDATE: Don’t spam Jose … he’s very busy right now and reminds us that no, it’s not dead, but the people do need to turn the governor now. Rick Perry’s email:

GCPD@governor.state.tx.us

I’m going to add rick.perry@governor.state.tx.us to my CC … just by chance that gets to him more directly.

Texas Poker Bill to Get Its House Vote Austin game violently robbed

DanM — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:13:40 +0000

As Kevin noticed early this AM (before my post from yesterday doubting the notion went live), Texas’ HB 222 has moved out of the Calendars Committee and is scheduled for a vote on the House floor tomorrow … which means it really should happen by Tuesday at the latest. Woot! Started to get worried there for a bit, but thanks to readers like you and probably the PPA and many others helping the capitol hallway soldiers … The People of Texas, man! … Step 3 of 6 has been successfully completed.

Step 1: Introduce bill
Step 2: Pass through committee
Step 3: Calendars committee
Step 4: House vote
Step 5: Senate vote
Step 6: Governor’s sig

You can see we still have a long ways to go, but Steps 4 and 5 have to be done for sure by May 23, so this is it … we’re about to see if our hard work first steps in the process properly position us to make it through the next all-important three. And by all means, we have to go undefeated … one loss and we’re dead.

Go here or here to send the whole House of Representatives an email letting them know you hear they’ll be voting on HB 222, and that you will really admire them for seeing the sensibility of this legislation.

Meanwhile, as a reminder why this bill is important, RobD in Austin lets us know:

To put a final nail into the coffin of [any] argument against HB222, I was at a Austin poker game last night and we got robbed at gun point (5/7/09, early morning). It was in a nice neighborhood and is known to regulars as FPC. At least two people got beat up. We’re all lucky to be alive. The Travis county sherrif was called and filed a report.

Poker Wars Report: Texas Frontlines

DanM — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:43:53 +0000

This is the week … that’s what I’ve hearing from people in Austin and DC regarding legalized racetrack (and Indian Casino) poker in Texas. All seem to be staying on message, too, because that’s the same thing they were saying last week.

But HB 222 isn’t just suffocating at the bottom of the Calendars Committee inbox, supposedly … on the contrary, there’s all sorts of crazy buzzing about. “Chatter” has intensified but gone more private … not much Twittering, just lots of fights and diplomacy on secure Blackberry lines. What I’m picking up via short-wave radio:

It has something to do with the Big Casino bill (also sponsored by Rep. Menendez), which is sitting in the same inbox waiting to be kicked to either the House floor or curb; Gov. Perry (anti-gambling) vs. Spkr. Straus (pro-gambling) drawing either swords or lots, not sure which; talk of a special session, or Secession; month of November comes into play; PPA ready to deploy troops, ammo … time is or is not of essence; something about big games …

Vote on Texas poker bill on Friday House calendar

Kevin Mathers — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:15:38 +0000

For those wondering when HB 222 would make the Texas House calendar, this coming Friday is your lucky day. I’ll leave it to Dan or other Texas legislation experts to interpret the fact that it’s buried on the calendar, but it looks like it’s made some progress, so fingers crossed poker fans

Amy Calistri = Socialist, Closet OU Fan

DanM — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:59:21 +0000

It’s true. And she’s been palling around with druggies and convicts just so she can “write about it” and (don’t tell anyone I said this) I’m even hearing unconfirmed, squalidly detailed rumors from an imaginary source that she’s got a thing for Somali pirates! I’ll pull short of calling her The Ann Coulter of Poker … but she certainly touched a nerve by questioning the “good fight” behind our beloved little Texas HB 222.

Player safety, protection from shady games, capitalist personal freedom not real enough issues to vote on?

I might be extra-sensitive because, frankly, the bill seems to be stalling in Calendars Committee. Why that is, I’m not sure … they’ve heard our message, they know it has passable support … throw an amendment on if you need to, but c’mon … put us on the agenda already! I’m a little removed from what’s going on in Austin during this hectic part of the Session, but I’m pretty sure if we don’t move the bill forward in like the next -2 days, we might be in trouble … Just sitting there for like two weeks seems odd, assuming it’s ready for a simple yay or nay. I suppose it’s possible we’re getting Fristed somewhere in the process. Or, perhaps they’re just having a sincere intellectual dilemma, inspired by Amy Calistri’s question:

Why Do I Want to Pay a Rake?

Why is the PPA wasting time feigning a “grass roots” issue over a Texas bill whose only beneficiary is commercial poker – in a state where poker is unquestionably legal? … It doesn’t exactly meet my definition of fighting the good fight. I mean, even the banking lobby doesn’t ask me to petition my legislators for higher ATM fees. And they can be shameless.

[OK, deep breath, find peace ... no tilt]

Amy raises some fair questions, which deserve answers. Yes, indeed. [Breathe]

First though, allow me to defend the PPA (full disclosure: card-carrying member): I think it’s hardly “feigning” a grass-roots movement when the PPA, over the years, has built a well-connected network of state directors, who are in a position to say, “Hey, we’ve got a real fight here!” — like a bill moving through the Legislature (which 90 percent of the states out there can’t say) — to which the national headquarters is ready to respond with some assistance … like sending out emails and setting up a special website to allow people to communicate with their elected officials. How is that a bad use of resources? Shouldn’t members be more bothered if such a state fight was going on and the PPA didn’t get involved? Maybe I’m just ignorant and optimistically cosmopolitan, believing the whole world has an interest in seeing Texas “legalize” poker …

OK, so back to her fair question … We all know the arguments and basic math behind how much money can be raked on the state’s behalf — pretty much just look at WinStar and multiply by 15 + Texas. But I’ll admit, that’s just the politics of HB 222, not the principle, because really it is easier to say, “Hey, this bill will generate money, not cost any.” But where would that money come from? The players, of course … and that’s where Amy raises her question about why she should want to patronize a for-profit poker operation when she can play at home for free.

My answers:

1. Because. Why shouldn’t I have the right, theoretically, if I were a legal, licensed operator, to rake my game (within the bounds established by law)? You tell me your legal, un-raked multitable home game is pretty good, and I’m sure it is. I’d love to play, can you get me in, along with 100 of my friends? Because if not, we’d like to have the option to go to Lone Star, where they might be running a 7 pm tourney. That doesn’t hurt your game does it? Cool, because if someone thinks they can throw a better game using a for-profit business model that charges the patrons, shouldn’t they have the right to do so? It is just poker, after all, not drugs or puppy-skinning. And letting the market decide where people play for what price … that’s just capitalism.

2. Protect and Serve. I’ve had dozens of friends and poker colleagues robbed at gunpoint. A few shots have been fired. Because they’re playing a game, and hosts are not allowed to hire off-duty police officers for security. Shouldn’t a game — your game even — have the right to protect its players how it sees fit? We’ve had one guy killed already (Arlington) and even a birthday tournament at suburban micromansion (Cedar Hill) has been robbed at gunpoint, in front of the wife and kids, no less! What’s so wrong with giving these players — or people simply living in bad neighborhoods — a safer option that requires no clean-up? Or more specifically, what’s right about not allowing such a place to exist? We’re not talking about opium dens and needle exchange programs, we’re talking about clarifying the law in a way that reduces the chance of a good wage-earning, tax-paying, family-man (or a hot soccer mom) finds themselves at the wrong end of a 1/2 No-Limit gun barrel.

3. Police and Courts would Appreciate the Help. Right now, law enforcement has to expend resources busting games and tie up the court system with misdemeanors that prosecutors would rather not have to deal with, knowing the current laws in place aren’t enough for them to rely on for a conviction. That is why so many law enforcement agencies and officials have given at least a tacit thumbs-up to regulated brick-and-mortar poker in Texas. Again, this shouldn’t affect Amy’s game at all … but should she not allow others the option to pay a rake, then she is tacitly telling the cops and DAs that she doesn’t really care about your time and fiscal resources.

4. The People Want More Stephenvilles. The Cowboy Capital tourney was a huge success, as it always is, revealing just how many truck-driving, church-going white people love to get together every so often for a big poker competition. The people involved in this event are fortunate to have a non-profit host willing to put on a good time for a few hundred of his friends at a loss. But few can afford to do this. Offering legally raked games in Texas would allow for more of these events, which Amy’s home game is simply too small to handle.

5. The Handicapped. Residential home games don’t have to be ADA compliant, and therefore the handicapped are plausibly excluded from enjoying the same activity as Amy and her best poker friends. This would not be a problem, though, if these valuable (and lovable!) physically challenged citizens could play at their nearest horse track or Indian casino.

So there you have it … five good reasons for HB 222 that don’t even take into account all the revenue generation our politicos are promising or bore you with comparisons to competitive, raked fishing tournaments. I’m sure there are other reasons that I’ve overlooked, too, and these still may not answer directly why any particular Texan should want to pay a rake … but preventing a Texan from having the sensible-to-them option of doing so? Well, at least as it pertains to poker, that’s just Oklahoman.

Look, we’ve got a good bill ready to be voted on … now all we need is our representatives to do their part and let the State have a respectable debate to determine if we can allow such a thing as Texas Hold’em tournament with an entry fee in a way that doesn’t harm those who don’t wish to pay it.

Reports of Texas Poker Bill’s Looming Death: Greatly Exaggerated

DanM — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:21:02 +0000

Our little Texas poker bill was chugging along well, and then I blinked … poof, and we were supposedly down to the proverbial chip-and-a-chair yesterday. For all our hard work to get it to the Calendars Committee and then let them know how much support it had from a diverse group of constituents … it was just sitting there? The blinds were eating us up, and, supposedly, we were about to take a bad beat from some arm-twisting higher-ups who had had just about enough.

(Note to self: politics is hard.)

But politics is about compromise — I truly believe that the more I learn about the game — not to mention perception of intent. Our opponents apparently didn’t have a problem with poker so much as they did with the amount of poker we were trying to make possible in this bill. So as we speak/type/read, Austin politicos are “ratcheting back” HB 222. If you were a bar owner hoping to get your hands on a license for some live or electronic tables … well sorry, you’re out of luck. The slimmed-down poker bill the Calendars Comittee will (hopefully, fingers crossed) be sending to the House floor in coming days will allow for poker only at parimutuel race tracks and on Indian Reservations.

OK, imho, we can definitely live with that. And great to hear that any opposition is working with us, not against us, in pursuit of a win-win for poker and the people of Texas. Because that’s really what it’s all about, right?

(C’mon river …)

PPA Ready to Join Texas Fight

DanM — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:04:51 +0000

The PPA has been keeping an eye on Texas for a while … seeing it as a potential “battleground state”. Now it seems they’re ready to put some resources behind it, as they’ve launched a new website to anchor their Texas efforts:

http://www.legalizetexaspoker.com/

I contacted retired Pokerati-er and the PPA’s Texas state director, Lavigne in Austin for an interview on this web development, a transcript of which is pasted below:

Michalski: This is good, right?
Lavigne: Yes

Write Your Congressional Calendars Committee It just got easier

DanM — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:11:56 +0000

Jeff over at LegalizePokerinTexas has updated his site to make it even easier for you to reach out to the 13 key members of the Texas House of Representatives who currently hold the fate of poker in their hands.

If you haven’t done so already, be sure to let them know that you’d really like to see our issues — HB 222 — put to a vote on the House floor so poker players from the great state of Texas can finally have their say.

Here’s the new link:

http://legalizepokerintexas.com/?issues=HB222

Click that, and you’ll see a button for “calendars committee” … click that, too, and it will instacheck the right people … so then, all you have to do is press send. You are, of course, welcome to customize the message to your personal liking.

We’re almost there, gang … we’re driving down the field … we need this first down.

RE: Calendars Committee Three guys who really need to hear from you

DanM — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:11:56 +0000

While looking through the list … I realized there are a few people on that committee whom we might need to be extra ~~ass-kissy~~ persuasive with. Most specifically:

McCall

Rep. Brian McCall (R-Plano) — He’s the chair, so he has the power to make our lives difficult. He’s also a very moderate Republican … so he’s open to our ideas, but you may recall we (poker people) unpleasantly bumped heads with him back in 2007. He doesn’t respond well to threats of not voting for him because he won’t go a certain way on a single issue. So the key with McCall is to let him know that yes, this may be a single issue that matters to you personally, but really it might well matter to Texans who don’t even play poker — because of the revenue it stands to generate, the police and DA resources it stands to free up, the state-pride freedom it represents, and the protection it offers citizens who are attending unsafe underground games or even being robbed in their own homes.

Again, all we are really asking is that they help make sure this issue gets a vote — that’s all we want! — so we can see if indeed the voice of the people lines up with everything polls and anecdotal opinions are telling us.

McCall is also on the Culture, Recreation, and Tourism committee … so any of you influential non-Texans who might want to let him now what legal poker in Texas could bring to the state beyond just poker rooms, he’s likely to be receptive to that idea.

Ritter

McReynolds

Two others that may need some extra arm-twisting: Rep. Allan Ritter (D-Beaumont/Port Arthur/Nederland) and Rep. Jim McReynolds (D-Lufkin). These guys are conservative Democrats in tough districts, so they may be wary of losing votes. Ritter is also on the Technology, Economic Development, and Workforce committee … so stress the jobs angle with him. And McReynolds is chair of the Corrections committee … so knowing HB 222 would make life easier on police and prosecutors will likely carry some weight with him.

Here’s the easy email-Congress link. C’mon poker players … we aren’t just scatter-shooting here and hoping for the best. Now is the time. We flopped a set but flush and straight draws are out there … it’s time to push.

Next Step for Legal Poker in Texas: Calendars Committee

DanM — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:27:58 +0000

Selective aggression … that’s the key here. And it’s again time to make a move. This time, we need to hit up the Calendars Committee. What we’re asking for with them is to get a vote on HB 222 and get it soon. I haven’t crafted my letter yet, but will do so today … in a nutshell I’ll be running down the basics in a single sentence — this bill protects citizens, honors personal freedoms, brings back some pride to Texas, and along with it a bunch of money being dumped in Oklahoma. Will also remind them that this bill has the overwhelming support of the people as well as police and prosecutors, who would greatly appreciate a law that is up-to-date with the 21st century.

Will probably end with something reminding them that this is a perfect example of the kind of sensible government legislation that will show our representatives are capable of looking beyond any controversial rhetoric and doing the right thing … and hey, if we get a vote and we’re wrong, we’ll stop with the email barrages. After all, this IS a grass-roots effort by the people, which makes it very different from the big-money casino bills pending … and they should recognize that.

But really — because this is grass roots and we don’t have the money to pay for a lobbyist to be glad-handing in the back hallways on behalf of HB 222 — we need you Texas-loving folks to get to work over the next 24 hours. (We’ll probably call on you two more times over the course of the next month). We need to hit them up and hit them hard … this is where we got to in 2007, and we did convince them to put us on the calendar, but not high up enough to ever get to a vote on the House floor.

Honestly, for the whole process, it hasn’t been more “on us” than it is right now. Here’s the link to the easy-email generator for Texas poker legislation.

Specifically, the people you should be sending this go-round to (with district # in parentheses) are:

Brian McCall (66) – Chair
Eddie Lucio III (38) – Vice-chair

Norma Chavez (76)
Garnet Coleman (147)
Byron Cook (8)
Brandon Creighton (16)
Charlie Geren (99)
Jim Keffer (60)
Lois Kolkhorst (13)
Edmund Kuempel (44)
Jim McReynolds (12)
Allan Ritter (21)
Burt Solomons (65)

The Venetian, Texas?

DanM — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:00:16 +0000

Sheldon Adelson

Good-ish article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram earlier this month about Sheldon Adelson’s vocal interest in Texas. Adelson, of course, is the Chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp, aka The Venetian. Of all the casino billionaires out there, he’s probably shown more than any other a (financial) commitment to poker — not only did he help build the best poker room in Vegas, but he even took a chance on The Real Deal! (Oops.)

Adelson was in Austin the other week testifying before the same Licensing and Administration Procedures Committee that voted 6-3 in favor of poker. You all know about HB 222, but there are actually four gambling-related bills pending in Texas right now:

1. Full-on Vegas-style casino-resorts — 12 of ‘em!
2. Poker
3. Slot machines (VLT’s they call them) in the race tracks
4. Online Lottery

Of these four, poker is a little different, because various authorities in the state have already ruled it enough of a game of skill that it doesn’t require a constitutional amendment. Hopefully, Gov. Rick Perry will see it the same not-quite-gambling way, should we get that far, as he has ~~promised~~ suggested he might-well veto any gambling bills sent to his desk.

Clearly, and for obvious reason, Adelson isn’t letting any political posturing deter his efforts to make Texas more Venetian-friendly. But knowing that … man, yo, Shelly, how ’bout throwing a little scratch HB 222’s way! Think of it as a hedge …

I’m being serious. Our little poker bill has gotten as far along in the process as the casino gambling bill has, and yet it’s done so with virtually no professional lobbying money behind it. (Big ups to an almost all-grassroots effort by Texas poker lovers!) Having just a fraction of the millions being spent on full-fledged-casino politicking for a final push through the Legislature would almost certainly get us across the finish line … we know the law makes sense, and polls and comments in mainstream media reports show it has overwhelming public support.

I’m not saying we can’t do it without Big Casino money behind us, but really it would help, as at this point it’s more about properly playing the political game to shepherd this bill through the rest of the legislative process — and our opponents have spent a few hundred thousand dollars to stop that from happening … which is significantly less, actually, than the millions spent by gambling opposition to keep Texas totally casino-free.

Hey, I’m all for the full-on casino bill (also sponsored by Jose Menendez) that the likes of Adelson support. But that bill has so many more obstacles in front of it — specifically the governor’s veto pen. Our poker bill is different though … and would give Perry a chance to sign a law that represents the will of the people (to protect freedoms, protect from violence, generate tax revenues, etc. ) yet doesn’t force him to technically break his promise to veto gambling legislation.

Legislative Pulse …

DanM — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:13:42 +0000

First, a link from the San Antonio Express-News showing that our efforts to legalize poker in Texas are taking hold:

Legalized poker rooms in Texas closer to a reality

And in Florida, which is in the midst of its own mini-poker boom after legalizing the game a couple years ago, is continuing to improve the game, pushing forth legislation to raise cash-game limits and allow for bigger buy-in tourneys:

Florida House plan raises poker stakes

What’s particularly interesting about Florida isn’t so much the poker, but the tax-tweaking related to it. And with that, the ussual opposition seems to be taking a different tack:

The House plans to expand poker and lower the tax rate are paired with an effort to shut down blackjack tables at Seminole resorts.

Fellow Republicans in the state Senate, though, have a different vision. To maximize revenues, senators want to authorize full casinos at Seminole resorts, complete with craps and roulette, as well as blackjack at South Florida tracks and bingo-style slots at facilities across the state. The Senate goes even farther than the House, allowing no-limit poker wagering.

Meanwhile, a pretty good summary of gambling-related initiatives in Texas comes from an email sent out by our opposition in the Christian Life Coalition. And the poli-blogger who subscribes acknowledges that while he is plausibly opposed to much that has to do with expanded gambling in the state, he still endorses Jose Menendez’s HB 222:

Of all the various gambling expansion options I’ve seen, allowing for poker seems to me to be the most sensible and least potentially harmful. Plus, as a bridge player who has had the chance to play for money legally, I think poker is a legitimate game of skill and should be treated as such. In fact, poker players in Pennsylvania and South Carolina recently won court rulings that agreed poker is a game of skill. As such, it’s not clear to me that the AG’s opinion would agree with the CLC about the inherent level of chance here. Of course, I Am Not A Lawyer, and Lord only knows what Greg Abbott will do.

Yeah. People are starting to get it. Go Poker!

Texas Poker Bill UpdateWith easy-email help from a Pokeratizen

DanM — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:08:16 +0000

I got forwarded a response to a constituent from Rep. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) regarding what comes next for poker legislation in Texas, and I thought I’d share it with the rest of you, as we all continue to learn a thing or two about how the political process works:

Steve,
Last session the Poker I filed got as far as any had before in Texas this one is ahead of where we were last session so the odds are a little better at this time. That having been said the Leg. Is made up of 150 Reps. and 31 Senators and if I can convince a majority of them to pass the bill I still have to have the bill written so that the Gov. won’t veto it. What I’m trying to say is that we are a long way from home and we may have to make changes to the bill just to get us to have a safe and legal place to play.

Thanks for writing me but importantly write your Rep., Senator and the Gov. Letting them know that you support this and maybe even the full Resort Casino bill that I filed as well.
Jose Menendez
Thank You,
Jose Menendez
______________________
Please excuse typos sent from Blackberry

So there we have it. I’ll be honest with you … when it comes to financing the efforts to get these bills through, poker isn’t very well funded. So that means we’re left fighting the fight about as grass-roots as it gets. (The good side is that we will be less encumbered by outside interests when it comes to whipping the language into shape.) To help out the grass-roots effort, Jeff (in Austin?) has updated his website to make it easier for you to reach out and speak to your representatives about why fully legal poker in Texas matters to you, and why it should matter to them.

Here’s the new helper website for your responsible citizen efforts. Be sure to bookmark it, as we will need to tap into this resource over the coming month-and-a-halfish.

Texas Opts against Raking Free Poker Games (at Strip Clubs)

DanM — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:52:56 +0000

Lesson #1 in politics: It’s not about what makes sense or creating any legal consistency.

Proof: In Dallas, it’s legal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, but illegal to ride a bicycle without one.

With that in mind, another law moved forward today that indirectly relates to poker … the Texas House approved a 10 percent tax on admission fees to strip clubs, replacing a $5-per-head “sin tax” that was previously in play. I know this law well … not only because it was a major deal at my old stomping grounds, The Lodge, but also because a good buddy of mine actually wrote it. And when he did, it was a sign to me of everything that is wrong with American politics …

IMHO, my law-writing pal totally phoned it in on this one. (Sorry, dude, no offense … just sayin’ … buy you a drink next time?) It was a terribly written law designed to generate money for a charity that the bill’s sponsor (Ellen Cohen, D-Houston) was the president of … all presented to the people as “good for women”, even though it hurt the clubs that actually looked out for their girls and encouraged the dirtier ones to operate more shadily in their sexually oriented business. When the adult entertainment industry challenged the law on First Amendment grounds, the courts agreed and declared it unconstitutional … a ruling that the State has since appealed, with that appeal still pending.

OK, so here’s where poker comes in … the way the original law was written, it said the strip clubs didn’t have to change their businesses in any way beyond taking that $5 a head. At the Lodge — voted the top strip club in the nation for 2008, btw — part of their business included hosting an amateur poker tournament every Sunday (which I started way back when, fyi). To keep that legal, it was held only on Sundays, when the Lodge had no cover charge, with no drink-minimums enforced … The tournament had to be free free free. That changed in 2007, however, when The Lodge, began taking the $5 cover, as mandated by state law.

So really, what that created was a $0+5 No-Limit Hold’em tournament, with the State taking 100 percent of the entry fee. Raked poker … made legal by one law, though still illegal under another. ~~Oops!~~ Amazing, people still came to play … and the state ~~profited~~ generated money for a charity as Lodge players competed week in and week out at a card game for prizes ranging from food-and-drink coupons to small buy-in events at the WSOP.

The new bill — sponsored by HB 222-supporting Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) — looks to correct that problem by instead taxing admission fees 10 percent … so Sundays at The Lodge could go back to being, um, cover-less, and Lodge Amateur Poker go back to being a true freeroll. If Thompson’s bill doesn’t become law, however, then the State will continue to rake “free” poker games while the courts look deeper into the legalities of my buddy’s old sin tax … which, interestingly enough, lots of other states are currently looking to copy.

Click here for a semi-SFW picture of Greg Raymer supporting the convergence of strip clubs and poker. (Zoom in for nipple.)

HB 222 Passes through House Committee

DanM — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:09:15 +0000

Passed 6-3. Nice job, Texas poker people. Calendars committee is next.

UPDATE: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/04/poker-bill-passes-out-of-house.html

RE: Texas Poker Bill up for Committee Vote Today (6)

DanM — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:57:22 +0000

As we know, HB 222 actually isn’t up for a vote until next week … but it’s looking strong. Here’s The Dallas Morning News’ take on yesterday’s meeting:

Texas Poker Players Willing to Ante Up Tax Money for Legalization

As is always the case in these mainstream media stories, check the comments for a pulse of the people. In this situation, so far, there are 14 comments supporting the bill (with 41 thumbs-ups), and 0 against (with 1 thumbs-down).

Could this thing be any more obvious? It’s a big matter of technicalities and lobbying and money and stuff at this point — along with some political infighting between proponents of the bigger casino bill and a horse-racing slot machine bill (which has been unsuccessfully fought for for about, oh, like 12 years now?). For good measure, Jose Menendez did extend an olive branch to the horse-track people Wednesday, letting them know that poker is indeed happy to help their bottom line — and you can look at other states where bringing poker rooms into the race tracks to get a sense of the many millions they do bring in.

That’s all good and cool — go horse-track poker! — but at the same time, why does politics have to be so hard (and expensive)? I’ve got a solution that should save everyone time and money, and could fit easily on just about any ballot for anything:

Poker in Texas
☐ Yes
☐ No

Isn’t politics at least in part about representing the will of the people? Because we already clearly know the answer to the above question.

RE: Texas Poker Bill up for Committee Vote Today (5)

DanM — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:02:31 +0000

Oops … sorry for the vote-tease … but hey, I’m just a political ~~rookie~~ sophomore. I thought the Committee vote on Texas HB 222 was today … but they have put it off for a week, so the full committee can vote on it and Menendez and friends can fix some alcohol tax language.

But I think we (Texas poker people) did a good job representing. Now we just wait. (I think.)

RE: Texas Poker Bill up for Committee Vote Today (4)Live-Blogging the HB 222 Committee Hearing

DanM — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:02:06 +0000

Just trying to move the convo here to keep it fresh.

Click here to watch the hearing live.

* Ooh, he read an email to former special counsel Royce Poinsett right off the bat — letting him know that Texas already sees poker as a game of skill, and therefore doesn’t need a Constitutional Amendment — hey, we went to high school together! Fun!

* Wow — Michigan charity revenue up from 7 million to 72 million … and their population is way less than ours!

* Hey, they mentioned the emails! Woot!

* Ooh, now they’re talking about actual card rooms! OK, they want Menendez to clarify the licensing issues. Fair enough.

“The definition in the bill is too broad.” … hmm, actually I agree.

* Lavigne in Austin is up! Representing the PPA!

* Lavigne is making some points we’ve brought up right here! About pizza and beer.

* Rob Kohler from Christian Life Commission is speaking against. Boo! Boo!

He’s got three issues:

1. not a game of skill
2. electronic tables need a class 3 gaming license
3. ???

Oooh, he’s making a losing skill argument! And he says that is the issue it all comes down to. We can win on skill argument!

* OK, back in action here … John Pitts is up now. He’s one of our lobbyists. Representing the electronic table makers. (Amaya Gaming now … no longer PokerTek.)

* They’re having to fight the technical stuff now — Class 3 gaming device issues, Indian issues, etc. That’s probably our oppositions best chance … just fight on technicalities of the bill’s wording. But Menendez is happy to work with the AG or whoever to recraft the language accordingly.

* He’s trying to explain electronic tables now … why is this different from video poker? We understand why … but I can see why it’s tough to comprehend for the uninitiated.

* Ooh, I think Pitts just lied and said they have electronic tables in Oklahoma. I’m pretty sure they don’t. But still, now he’s clarifying that these are very different from “video lottery terminals”.

*Michele Lewis is up. Go Michele!

OK, Michele … c’mon … get to the point!

*Senofria Thompson wants to know if Michele is the same woman as Clonie. LOL.

Boo-yah … Michele brought up the new study we haven’t told you about yet.

* Nice! Michele brings up the charity angle … important … and the woman issue.

* Vernon Harrison from the Texas Card Players Association. He’s talking about the need for a safe environment.

* Vernon is laying out so nicely the need for legitimate poker rooms.

*PPA has 65,000 members in Texas. TCPA has 500.

* Brett Kinds (sp?) a poker pro from Texas.

* He spends $100k a year OUTSIDE of Texas on poker incidentals — food, lodging, buy-ins, etc.

* He’s making the point about all the jobs it creates.

* He’s contending there’s 0 chance. He just mis-stated Aces as occurring 1 in 18 hands.

* Brett Kimes’ grandfather (father?) was shot and killed in an underground card game.

* Nice finish about playing OUR game in OUR state and his being scared to have a legal rake-free home game for threat of robbery.

* They’re now reading the non-testifier opinions … There were like 10 for and 2 against.

* Menendez is closing … $26 million $40 million $60 million … that’s how much the state will make in each consecutive year.

* He’s bringing up the race track issue now … and offering poker as a way to save the race tracks! Yes! “New fresh blood!” I agree … poker will save racing!

* Yes, they’re talking about our emails that we just sent them! Nice job Pokeratizens!

RE: Texas Poker Bill up for Committee Vote Today (3)Email buzz alert

DanM — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:09:30 +0000

Click here to watch the meeting live

OK, here you go … click the link below to ping the House Licensing and Procedures Committee with your support for HB 222. And for those of you griping that the bill itself isn’t perfect … ~~STFU!~~ don’t worry, we can work on that … one step at a time … but first we have to get over today’s hump.

I’ll be letting them know that I am happy they are giving HB 222 it’s due consideration and that I’d like to weigh in with my enthusiastic support. I seriously hope you’ll do the same before opponents to our bill see this post and hijack this link for their own purposes.

Click here to insta-contact important representatives

Here’s the text I’ve included for you … but feel free to customize it however you feel necessary:

To: Edmund Kuempel, Jose Menendez
CC: Senfronia Thompson, Warren Chisum, Charlie Geren, Roland Gutierrez, Delwin Jones, Mike Hamilton, Chente Quintanilla
BCC: Pokerati
SUBJ: 222: please vote YES

Hi there your honors,

I know you have many important votes today. I recognize that HB 222 is a bill about personal freedom that protects Texas citizens while bringing economic benefits to our state. I hope you too will support this sensible government measure and let the voice of hundreds of thousands of Texas poker players be heard and given due consideration in the House of Representatives.

Thank you for your service,

UPDATE: Had Kuempel’s name spelled wrong in the first go at this … it’s been corrected … but just an fyi, in case you were a super-early sender whose email to the chairman bounced.

REMINDER: Don’t forget to add your name (and Texas city if relevant). One-click … type your name … click again … done — you have done your duty as an engaged citizen and contributed toward ~~expanding gambling in Texas~~ the betterment of the recognized skill game that is Texas Hold’em/making the world a better place.

RE: Texas Poker Bill up for Committee Vote Today (2) Meet the peeps currently deciding poker’s future

DanM — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:12:28 +0000

We all know the value of selective aggression … and here’s what’s up in the next couple hours:

The committee voting on us consists of 9 members … so we need the support of five of them. Looking back at past voting records (and combined with some lobbyist intel), we can feel “really good” about four of them, and probably good about one. But two will definitely vote against us; one probably will … and then the big wildcard — we have no idea how he’ll vote — is the committee chair, Edmund Keumpel (R-Seguin). And if I understand committee dynamics right, even with support of the others, he has the power to derail us.

Ed Kuempel, Chairman
House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee

OK, so you got that? He wants to hear from us. So this is where you guys come into play … NOW would be a good time to hit their Blackberries with your support for HB 222. You don’t need to explain the reasons or anything … they know the basic arguments — personal freedom + citizen protection + economic benefit = sensible government — but would love to get a last minute reminder that people out there actively care to see them vote yes and send this bill to the House of Representatives so a meaningful percentage of the Texas citizenry can have their voice, issues, and concerns heard by the people in a position to make a difference for them.

I’m working on a special email link so one click will let you hit them all. But in the meantime, here’s Kuempel’s page with his email and phone info.

RE: Texas Poker Bill up for Committee Vote Today

DanM — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:02:34 +0000

You’ll be able to watch the Licensing and Administrative Committee hearing via internet live-stream. Here’s the direct link to the stream.

And in case for some reason that doesn’t work, here’s the back-up page where the Texas House of Representative indexes all their publicly visible action.

Pokerati | Texas Hold'em and Las Vegas Poker Blog » HB 222

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