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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The diversity of the Texas economy has helped the |
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state weather the turbulence of the recession, but as the national |
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downturn deepens and as prudent planning for the future becomes |
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more vital, communities in the Lone Star State are seeking ways to |
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ensure that they have sufficient resources to continue to provide |
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necessary services; economic studies indicate that the gaming |
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industry has the potential to bring billions of tax dollars into |
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Texas while creating jobs and boosting local economies; and |
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WHEREAS, Estimates of Texans' annual discretionary spending |
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for gaming range from $3 billion to $6 billion, but the tax dollars |
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generated currently accrue to Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and |
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other states with highly developed gaming industries; and |
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WHEREAS, Calculations of the annual tax revenues that Texas |
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could earn from gaming are between $3 billion and $4.5 billion when |
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factoring in the construction of upscale casinos, the licensing of |
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gambling at the state's Indian reservations, and the installation |
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of slot machines at existing licensed horse and greyhound |
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racetracks; the annual economic impact of such development could |
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reach $50 billion; and |
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WHEREAS, Communities with racetracks are presently losing |
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business to other states where racetracks offer consumers |
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alternative gaming opportunities, and the state's racehorse |
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industry is losing business to competitors in states where income |
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from video lottery terminals supports breeding programs and higher |
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purses; and |
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WHEREAS, Development of resort casinos would exert an |
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economic stimulus in surrounding communities initially through |
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construction employment and later through employment not only at |
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the casinos but also in the retail, restaurant, recreation, and |
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other tourist businesses that would soon flourish; and |
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WHEREAS, In order to maximize the economic benefits of the |
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gaming industry to the state and to local communities, Texas must |
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develop a comprehensive and coherent strategy that considers such |
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aspects as the areas of the state that would be most suitable for |
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specific types of gaming facilities, the types of gaming that would |
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be of economic benefit to individual communities, and the types of |
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gaming that would provide maximum financial benefit to the state; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Patronage of casinos in Texas would predominantly |
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come from the population that lives within a 50-mile radius of the |
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facilities, and economic development after the construction of a |
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facility would only result in a transfer of dollars from within the |
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existing local consumer economy, which would damage existing |
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businesses and family-friendly tourism and diminish sales tax |
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revenue; it is recognized and acknowledged that for a certain |
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percentage of the population, gambling is not a form of |
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entertainment but an addiction, and that the real harm that results |
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from casinos includes an immense increase in the total number of |
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pathological gamblers in this state; reputable, independent |
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economists estimate that for every $1 in benefits derived from |
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casino-style gambling, there will be $3 in costs related to the |
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activity; the additional costs resulting from the expansion of |
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casinos in Texas would be absorbed by friends, family members, and |
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local, county, and state governmental entities; and |
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WHEREAS, National and historic properties in the State of |
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Texas should be protected from any attempt to expand casino-style |
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gambling; the state has contractual agreements with Indian tribes |
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both inside and outside the state that recognize historic |
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properties of the tribes in Texas and allow these properties to be |
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listed in the National Register of Historic Places; any expansion |
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of casinos or video lottery terminals in Texas would constitute |
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approval of Class III games in the state as defined by the Indian |
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Gaming Regulatory Act; the approval of Class III games in Texas |
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would have the immediate effect of allowing Indian tribes, both |
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inside and outside the state, with historic properties and heritage |
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in our state, to potentially open gaming facilities throughout |
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Texas with little state or local community input or oversight; such |
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attempts in other states have resulted in long and costly |
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litigation, at great expense to the taxpayers of those states; and |
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WHEREAS, The vast potential for new tax revenue streams and |
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economic stimulus demands a careful evaluation of the business |
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environments in individual communities and of the direct and |
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indirect benefits of the gaming industry to those communities and |
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to the state; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully request the lieutenant governor and the speaker |
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of the house of representatives to create a joint interim committee |
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to study the gaming industry in Texas and its potential direct and |
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indirect economic impact on specific markets and on the state as a |
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whole; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That any study or report on the gaming industry |
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expansion into Texas include a cost-benefit analysis that considers |
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both the social and economic costs related to the expansion of |
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casino-style gambling, the effect on existing sales tax revenue, |
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and the effect on Texas lottery sales, as well as an analysis of the |
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tax rates on dollars wagered in the casino business model and the |
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effect on the existing local economies and family-friendly tourism; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That any study or report also include a complete |
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analysis of any agreements between the State of Texas and Indian |
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tribes regarding historic or real properties of Indian tribes in |
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the state, and that the analysis include but not be limited to a |
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complete review of Indian gaming expansion across the United |
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States, including current litigation and case law, and how Indian |
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historic and real properties have been leveraged to expand casino |
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gaming into areas that had not been previously considered Indian |
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land; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be |
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governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim |
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committees as the 81st Legislature may adopt; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including |
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findings and recommendations, to the 82nd Texas Legislature when it |
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convenes in January 2011. |