By: Kuempel H.C.R. No. 220
 
 
 
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, The diversity of the Texas economy has helped the
  state weather the turbulence of the recession, but as the national
  downturn deepens and as prudent planning for the future becomes
  more vital, communities in the Lone Star State are seeking ways to
  ensure that they have sufficient resources to continue to provide
  necessary services; economic studies indicate that the gaming
  industry has the potential to bring billions of tax dollars into
  Texas while creating jobs and boosting local economies; and
         WHEREAS, Estimates of Texans' annual discretionary spending
  for gaming range from $3 billion to $6 billion, but the tax dollars
  generated currently accrue to Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and
  other states with highly developed gaming industries; and
         WHEREAS, Calculations of the annual tax revenues that Texas
  could earn from gaming are between $3 billion and $4.5 billion when
  factoring in the construction of upscale casinos, the licensing of
  gambling at the state's Indian reservations, and the installation
  of slot machines at existing licensed horse and greyhound
  racetracks; the annual economic impact of such development could
  reach $50 billion; and
         WHEREAS, Communities with racetracks are presently losing
  business to other states where racetracks offer consumers
  alternative gaming opportunities, and the state's racehorse
  industry is losing business to competitors in states where income
  from video lottery terminals supports breeding programs and higher
  purses; and
         WHEREAS, Development of resort casinos would exert an
  economic stimulus in surrounding communities initially through
  construction employment and later through employment not only at
  the casinos but also in the retail, restaurant, recreation, and
  other tourist businesses that would soon flourish; and
         WHEREAS, In order to maximize the economic benefits of the
  gaming industry to the state and to local communities, Texas must
  develop a comprehensive and coherent strategy that considers such
  aspects as the areas of the state that would be most suitable for
  specific types of gaming facilities, the types of gaming that would
  be of economic benefit to individual communities, and the types of
  gaming that would provide maximum financial benefit to the state;
  and
         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
         WHEREAS, The vast potential for new tax revenue streams and
  economic stimulus demands a careful evaluation of the business
  environments in individual communities and of the direct and
  indirect benefits of the gaming industry to those communities and
  to the state; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby respectfully request the lieutenant governor and the speaker
  of the house of representatives to create a joint interim committee
  to study the gaming industry in Texas and its potential direct and
  indirect economic impact on specific markets and on the state as a
  whole; and, be it further
         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
         RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be
  governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim
  committees as the 81st Legislature may adopt; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including
  findings and recommendations, to the 82nd Texas Legislature when it
  convenes in January 2011.