Changes to the Texas Lottery are coming under bill making its way through the Legislature
The scandal surrounding the Texas Lottery is prompting big changes in the Legislature.
The Texas House passed a bill Monday morning that will transfer the lottery games to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and abolish the Lottery Commission.
The legislation will likely head to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk after the House and Senate discuss it further.
The measure also bans the sale of lottery tickets online and requires the state to thoroughly review the lottery's operations again before 2029. Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has been outspoken on the issue, and Attorney General Ken Paxton have all called for investigations, which are now underway. They and others have sharply criticized the lottery after questionable jackpots were won, including by players who purchased tickets through a lottery courier. The lottery will continue to provide funding for public schools and veterans' programs.
While the lottery will survive, lawmakers debated an amendment that failed Monday night that would have ended the lottery games.
Rep. Brent Money, R-Greenville, who wanted to abolish the lottery altogether, said, "It is an unfair game that is primarily paid by poor people in order to fund an area in our government."
Representative Harold Dutton Jr., D-Houston, asked Money, "Is it voluntary or involuntary?"
Money replied, "It's voluntary."
Dutton responded, "So if they choose to play it, you have a problem with that? You're saying it's voluntary. It is not taking it from anybody."
Also, on Monday, the House passed a bill that will provide hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives to the TV and film industry in Texas. Unlike the Senate, which voted to give $500 million in incentives over the next two years, the House lowered that amount to $300 million. CBS News Texas asked Lt. Governor Dan Patrick's office whether he and senators will accept the House's changes or go to conference and negotiate their differences, but we did not hear back.
Two other bills heading to the governor's desk include one banning THC in Texas, effectively wiping out the hemp industry, and another that prohibits the use of non-disclosure agreements against victims of sexual assault in civil settlements. The legislative session at the Texas Capitol ends Monday, June 2.
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