Update on Washington State Bills

[NPIII]

There are now 2 bills up for consideration in Washington State:
HB 1243 and HB 2127
Links to each bill:
HB 1243:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summ...&year=2007

HB 2127:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summ...&year=2007

Summary: HB 1243 makes there be no crime to play online poker for recreational purposes. HB 2127 changes the felony part of the law into a misdemeanor.

After talking with lawmakers, it appears that HB 1243 is not going to get a chance because Representative Steve Conway (head of the Commerce and Labor committee) will not allow it to be discussed. HB 2127 (which was introduced much later than HB 1243) already has a hearing date set - Febuary 16th at 3pm. In my opinion, we should continue to push for HB 1243 - because it is the right law. However, we might just have to "take whatever we can get" on this front - which would be HB 2127.

[AmericanAirline$]

Should we try for the good option with a low chance of success - HB 1243?
Or take the reasonable option with a higher chance of success - HB 2127?

[NPIII]

bump

[NPIII]

I guess I would have to go with pushing for HB1243.

At least I won't be too disappointed with HB 2127. :-(

[duh]

Are we not all poker players????

GAMBOOOL on 1243

[Trouthunter]

I received a favorable response from my Representative - Brendan Williams (22nd Dist.) on 1243. He said that 1243 makes a great deal of sense and the law now is unenforceable. It wasn't enthusiastic, but it certainly was supportive of the bill.

How do we get through to Rep. Conway to get the bill a hearing?

[disjunction]

[ QUOTE ]
Should we try for the good option with a low chance of success - HB 1243?
Or take the reasonable option with a higher chance of success - HB 2127?

[/ QUOTE ]

From the information given, it doesn't look like this should phrased in terms of a choice. If you support 2127 there is no way to go back. Once you choose to compromise, the lawmakers will look for a way to compromise from your compromise.

[StellarWind]

[ QUOTE ]
Summary: HB 1243 makes there be no crime to play online poker for recreational purposes. HB 2127 changes the felony part of the law into a misdemeanor.

[/ QUOTE ]
Passing HB 2127 is actually the worst possible outcome. I would strongly prefer that nothing pass.

Right now the felony aspect of Washington law is a major embarrassment. It is so unreasonable it makes opponents of internet gaming look really bad. As long as playing internet poker is a felony, repeal bills like HB 1243 are going to keep coming up. Eventually Washington could stop being a prohibition state.

HB 2127 would solve our opponents' political problem. Internet poker would remain a misdemeanor forever. That's a tragedy because Washington is by far the best state to use for building a UIGEA prosecution against a pure poker room.

Who cares whether playing online poker is a felony or merely a serious misdemeanor? It's not like anyone is actually going to be prosecuted. Clearly the state has no intention of enforcing this law.

[TheMathProf]

[ QUOTE ]
HB 2127 would solve our opponents' political problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

Probably, although I don't know if they really face severe problems in the first place. While I would also rather see it remain a felony for exactly the reasons you state, I do foresee the possibility that HB2320 completely backfires.

When the Washington State Legislature passed their bill last fall, many legislators could claim that they didn't recognize the scope of the bill that they had passed. Keep in mind that the bill they passed last year is the same one that got Negreanu's column removed from the Seattle Times.

So in response to this, in response to the idea that they went too far, they give... just the tiniest little bit back? This is almost worse than the original bill, in that now they're acknowledging that recreational play shouldn't be considered under the previous statutes, but still punishable by gross misdemeanor penalties?

With this bill, and if there were a politically active pushback in the state of Washington, this bill could actually prove to be even more of a catalyst for further action.

Since that likely isn't the case, it probably really doesn't matter one way or the other.

[Freakin]

i think the enforcement will be the same, i'd rather have it be a misdemeanor than a felony for obvious reasons.