[brimelian]

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That's too bad. Anything ordinary people can do to encourage this?

On a side note, any thoughts on why the $million dollar net worth provision?

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I think the advice that others have already given is worthwhile, re: call and write your representatives as well as the committee members. For better or worse, getting new laws passed in Texas is often an iterative process. Repetition is good, and familiarity is even better. Even though the bill may die this session, all those calls and letters will be remembered next session when the bill is heard again. The concept won't be alien to the members who are still around next session. Instead of a member asking "Why on earth would we want to regulate poker?", they will think, "Oh yea, this is the bill that got out of committee and died in Calendars last session. I heard good things about that bill from my constituents last time...I hope it moves."

The wheels of progress grind *very* slowly in Texas politics, but they still move. :-)

As for the $1 million threshold, I'm guessing that is in there so that the state will only have to regulate larger nightclubs, restaurants, and other commercial operations. Having to regulate smaller entities would be an administrative and logistical nightmare and cost more than what the licensing fees would bring in.

If a bill results in a net cost to the state, it is usually dead in the water. I'm certain Menendez structured the bill in this way so it would result in a net revenue gain to the state...otherwise, the committee would have never heard it.