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San Jacinto Commissioner’s Court passes resolution supporting Alabama Coushatta
By ALEX WUKMAN
In a rare split decision the San Jacinto County Commissioner’s Court voted 3-2 for a resolution supporting the Alabama Coushatta’s desire to see House Bill (HB) 3335 passed.
HB 3335 was introduced in March of 2007 and was left in committee when the legislature ended their regular session. According to the text of the bill it is primarily designed to allow for “the operation of video lottery games to provide additional money to fund governmental programs.”
The bill was created to put in action an amendment to the Texas Constitution that was passed in 2007 “allowing [the] expansion of the existing state lottery through a state-controlled video lottery system.”
The text of the bill also states that “this chapter is game-specific and may not be construed to allow the operation of any other form of gambling unless specifically allowed by this chapter. This chapter does not allow the operation of slot machines, dice games, roulette wheels, house-banked games, including house-banked card games, or games in which winners are determined by the outcome of a sports contest that are prohibited under other state law.”
Of the five members of the commissioner’s court only Pct. 1 Commissioner Michael Griffith and Pct. 2 Commissioner Royce Wells voted against the resolution. When asked why Wells said he “didn’t think it had any benefit to San Jacinto County.”
Wells explained that even though the bill only dealt with a video lottery system he felt that when the Alabama Coushatta did have gambling on the reservation it was not providing any economic benefit to the community.
“I remember they hired a few people and paid them minimum wage,” said Wells. Wells criticism also dealt specifically with the bill, he felt it was not only confusing but poorly written.
“This was a terrible house bill,” said Wells. Wells objections were not enough to sway the rest of the court though since Faulkner, Pct. 3 Commissioner David Brandon and Pct. 4 Commissioner Mark Nettuno voted in favor of the resolution.
HB 3335 was introduced in March of 2007 and was left in committee when the legislature ended their regular session. According to the text of the bill it is primarily designed to allow for “the operation of video lottery games to provide additional money to fund governmental programs.”
The bill was created to put in action an amendment to the Texas Constitution that was passed in 2007 “allowing [the] expansion of the existing state lottery through a state-controlled video lottery system.”
The text of the bill also states that “this chapter is game-specific and may not be construed to allow the operation of any other form of gambling unless specifically allowed by this chapter. This chapter does not allow the operation of slot machines, dice games, roulette wheels, house-banked games, including house-banked card games, or games in which winners are determined by the outcome of a sports contest that are prohibited under other state law.”
Of the five members of the commissioner’s court only Pct. 1 Commissioner Michael Griffith and Pct. 2 Commissioner Royce Wells voted against the resolution. When asked why Wells said he “didn’t think it had any benefit to San Jacinto County.”
Wells explained that even though the bill only dealt with a video lottery system he felt that when the Alabama Coushatta did have gambling on the reservation it was not providing any economic benefit to the community.
“I remember they hired a few people and paid them minimum wage,” said Wells. Wells criticism also dealt specifically with the bill, he felt it was not only confusing but poorly written.
“This was a terrible house bill,” said Wells. Wells objections were not enough to sway the rest of the court though since Faulkner, Pct. 3 Commissioner David Brandon and Pct. 4 Commissioner Mark Nettuno voted in favor of the resolution.
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