Texas Poker Bill Expansion Dies

NB 222 had already been edited to increase the chance of passage. Initially the bill had proposed that poker be allowed at local bars and restaurants in the state. This was seen as a step to far and taken out of the revised bill. It still wasn’t enough.

The bill was the brainchild of State Representative Jose Menendez and it was ultimately his decision to formulate the demise of the bill. Knowing that Governor Rick Perry would veto any legislation to expand gambling in the state and that the 100 votes required for the bill to pass would not materialise, Menendez took a diplomatic approach.

When NB 222 came to the floor he choose to postpone his legislation until June 2nd, one day after the currents sessions end, thus ending the debate for this session and the demise of the bill. Rather than waste time on a lost cause, Senator Jose Menendez wanted to leave the floor open for more pressing matters.

This was the third session in a row that Senator Menendez had fought to alter the law on poker in the state of Texas in order to allow people to play poker without fear of the police raiding the game or gangs of thieves robbing home games (an increasingly popular occurrence).

It is now the third time in a row that the push has failed. State legislature is revised every two years in Texas so any attempt will have to wait until late 2010 to see the light of day and 2011 before a successful attempt would pass.

In a bludgeoning crisis and amongst continued unemployment this year was seen as a possible turning of the tide. As millions of dollars leaves Texas for the neighbouring poker and gambling states of Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico a real opportunity was seen. Unfortunately for poker billions in federal stimulus funds rendered any such need obsolete. For now.