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Amend HCR 220 as follows:
(1) On page 2, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:
WHEREAS, Patronage of casinos in Texas would predominantly
come from the population that lives within a 50-mile radius of the
facilities, and economic development after the construction of a
facility would only result in a transfer of dollars from within the
existing local consumer economy, which would damage existing
businesses and family-friendly tourism and diminish sales tax
revenue; it is recognized and acknowledged that for a certain
percentage of the population, gambling is not a form of
entertainment but an addiction, and that the real harm that results
from casinos includes an immense increase in the total number of
pathological gamblers in this state; reputable, independent
economists estimate that for every $1 in benefits derived from
casino-style gambling, there will be $3 in costs related to the
activity; the additional costs resulting from the expansion of
casinos in Texas would be absorbed by friends, family members, and
local, county, and state governmental entities; and
WHEREAS, National and historic properties in the State of
Texas should be protected from any attempt to expand casino-style
gambling; the state has contractual agreements with Indian tribes
both inside and outside the state that recognize historic
properties of the tribes in Texas and allow these properties to be
listed in the National Register of Historic Places; any expansion
of casinos or video lottery terminals in Texas would constitute
approval of Class III games in the state as defined by the Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act; the approval of Class III games in Texas
would have the immediate effect of allowing Indian tribes, both
inside and outside the state, with historic properties and heritage
in our state, to potentially open gaming facilities throughout
Texas with little state or local community input or oversight; such
attempts in other states have resulted in long and costly
litigation, at great expense to the taxpayers of those states; and
(2) On page 2, between lines 25 and 26, insert the
following:
RESOLVED, That any study or report on the gaming industry
expansion into Texas include a cost-benefit analysis that considers
both the social and economic costs related to the expansion of
casino-style gambling, the effect on existing sales tax revenue,
and the effect on Texas lottery sales, as well as an analysis of the
tax rates on dollars wagered in the casino business model and the
effect on the existing local economies and family-friendly tourism;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That any study or report also include a complete
analysis of any agreements between the State of Texas and Indian
tribes regarding historic or real properties of Indian tribes in
the state, and that the analysis include but not be limited to a
complete review of Indian gaming expansion across the United
States, including current litigation and case law, and how Indian
historic and real properties have been leveraged to expand casino
gaming into areas that had not been previously considered Indian
land; and, be it further