I oppose Propositions 5 and 7; Texas Constitutional Amendment Election

Early voting begins Monday, 23 October and runs through the third of November in the Texas Constitutional Amendment Election.  Election Day is 7 November.

The Texas constitution reserves much power for us citizens and requires a statewide vote to accomplish many things. Don’t be fooled by those who lament the long list of amendments that required voter approval as what they are lamenting is power being reserved by the people and not left in the hands of the political governing class.

There are seven proposed amendments to the Texas constitution on this year’s ballot and each is coupled with more detailed legislation passed in the regular session of our legislature.

There are only two of the amendments I have problems with: Proposition 5 and Proposition 7.

Passage of Proposition 5 would expand the definition of “professional sports team,” giving more organizations the ability to conduct “charitable raffles.” It is simply another expansion of a form of gambling that doesn’t allow all of us to engage in these raffles but only benefits a certain group that lobbied for such. I’m against Proposition 5.

I’m against Proposition 7 too which would allow banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions to conduct promotional activities such as “savings promotion raffles.” Financial institutions have no business getting a rare carve-out in state law to engage in what is illegal for others.

Those behind the effort say that prize-linked savings accounts offer incentives for people to save rather than spend or gamble away earnings. I oppose it on the grounds that the idea itself is contradictory because a raffle is itself gambling.

How the hell do you teach people that gambling isn’t how one saves money by, well, gambling? I oppose Prop. 7 on the grounds that it is stupid.

Early voting is underway. See all the amendments and comments about them at PrattonTexas.com.