Gaming legislation will again be on the agenda in Pokerati’s beloved home state of Texas — as it has been pretty much continuously since the days when “blue laws” prohibited us from shopping on Sundays. But this year Texas is friggin’ near-broke and public opposition to gambling is minimal, making hopes for passage of new gaming laws more promising.

A poll of registered voters taken earlier this month (conducted by the University of Texas and Texas Tribune) indicates 56 percent support full-on casino resorts in Texas, and fewer than 20 percent oppose any expansion of gambling or want to ban it altogether. A year ago, these numbers stood at 40 and 31 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers are wrangling with one of the biggest budget deficits in the country and the need for contentious cuts to education, Medicare, veterans affairs, prisons … and just about every other department in an effort to close a budget shortfall estimated at $11-to-27 billion — bigger than any the state has ever had to face.

But before poker players get too excited about Texas’s economic woes going into the 2011 legislative session… with elevated hopes for gaming-law success (and fully legalized poker) also comes heightened opposition from well-monied morality-driven lobbies, and possibly cut-throat intra-ideological competition over whose bill gets the biggest push. And that doesn’t even begin to address the uncertain but possibly critical stake of the Chickasaw …

Still, licensed and regulated Texas gambling … saying no to it will be saying no to up to a billion dollars of economic stimulus. Whatever legislation does find its way through capitol halls will likely morph and merge and change in coming months — and Pokerati will do its best to keep you posted — but three bill-movers to watch throughout the session (and their preferred regulatory agencies) include:

Full Casino Resorts (Texas Gaming Commission)
This is the big prize with the most upside for gambling interests and state coffers — but also the toughest obstacles to passage. Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) has declared his intent to introduce a bill to legalize casino gambling in specified areas across the Lone Star State. A related bill already moving forward — HJR 28 — looks to establish a Texas Gaming Commission by constitutional amendment, opening the possibilities for resort casinos. A constitutional amendment requires “absolute supermajority” — meaning it must pass both the House and Senate with a 2/3 vote before being put to the public to approve.

Horse Track VLTs (Texas Racing Commission)
For more than a decade, bankrupt Texas horse tracks have believed that adding slot machines will save them. They still believe as much (just as they believe calling such devices Video Lottery Terminals somehow makes them more palatable to voters). Reliably informed sources tell us another “racino” bill is forthcoming. Already multiple municipalities with horse tracks have passed new laws allowing VLTs should such a bill (or something similar) go through. Corpus Christi, for example, did so by unanimous vote just two weeks ago.

The Poker(ati) Bill (Texas Lottery Commission)
The 2009 poker act — a poker-specific bill to license and regulate the state’s namesake game, Texas Hold’em, and other varieties of poker — made it further along in the political process than any other gaming bill (out of three) during the last legislative session … at least in part due to efforts of loyal Pokeratizens. Our good friend Rep. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) has re-introduced his poker bill — HB 382 this go-round — which has already been referred to the House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures. Its current incarnation, HB 382 acknowledges poker as a game of skill, and therefore does not require constitutional amendment to pass.

Pardon any overhype of what is likely the smallest political stack in play gambling-wise this ’11 — it’s technically not even a “gambling” bill as worded. But Pokerati and its readers have played a role in Menedez’s legislation ever since yours truly and former Pokerati contrib Lavigne in Austin conceived of it back in ’06, mapping out a multi-session strategy at a 1/2 table in a Dallas poker room called Stagecoach. We succeeded in ’07 in getting the bill (HB 3186) on the House calendar, and in ’09 (HB 222) got it to the floor with necessary bipartisan support to pass … and without language imposing prohibitive betting limits … before GOP poker-yea’s got a last-minute directive to flip their position, prompting Menendez to pull the plug so the poker “movement” would live to see another session.

The bill has long since passed out of my hands — growing into something bigger than a little poker blog’s grassroots campaign — and may or may not be the specific piece of legislation that ultimately books the end result we all are presumably seeking: better poker for Texas. But that won’t stop at least one Texas poker expat from encouraging your support … you know, just so I can take credit should things go well and blame others if not. That’s how things work in Washington DC Austin, right?

So that’s the quick glance at Texas in 2011. (As of this week.) We have a relatively tried and true poker bill … wheels are in motion for a full-on casino bill … and we’re virtually sure to see a long-fought-for racing bill. Sounds like political poetry to me:

The people want it,
a state needs it,
relevant municipalities are hungry for it.
All while special interests fight for pie (Lol)
what could possibly go wrong?

The Texas Legislature meets only every other year for 140 days — their most recent confab having begun January 11 … so we’ve got fewer than 100 days left for real gambling change befitting of Texas to happen.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

More details about the gambling politi-cash here.

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.

[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:

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 … )

The place that needs to hear from YOU is:

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

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

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.

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.

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 …

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.

(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 …)

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

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.

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.

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)