The news of Texas covered today includes:
Our Lone Star story of the day: Senate passes its form of tax relief with a unanimous vote; House Appropriations is moving its version of the state budget forward, and as usual the liberals are upset that we aren’t spending enough, and; the House finally schedules floor votes to start next week! Those items and more from the 88th Texas Legislature.
Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.
Lubbock County Commissioner, Precinct 4, Jordan Rackler discusses the opposition to regulating “game rooms” in Lubbock and expresses his dissatisfaction at delays in passing an ordinance.
“Bill Peacock on how legislators are missing the right fix to Texas’ electric grid,” was a title from Monday’s show and new coverage in the Dallas Morning News amplifies Peacock’s points on how the legislature is not only missing the mark but hurting our successful market: Experts warn Senate plan for statewide ‘backup generator’ would sink ERCOT free market.
And, other news of Texas.
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I have heard no opposition to the game room ordinance from the County Judge or the Commissioners of Precinct 1 or 3, much less vociferous opposition. The judge and commissioners have only voted to table the matter during discussion of the motion and then oppose removing it from the table. I think careful consideration by politicians before passing laws is prudent and should be encouraged.
Tony, you are a courthouse insider – are you protecting the game rooms? Seriously, tabling the motion and saying you’ll delay it all is opposition. The heat must be getting bothersome on those who have stopped moves toward such regulation. I’ve heard from some very big names in town that they are quite upset by this stalling and some have said they are not getting cooperation from the vote-to-table commissioners. The issue is not new and has been opposed in the background by the players involved for at least 2 years. Even Kovar admitted to KCBD he new Corley was pushing this issue two years ago but tried to pretend the issue somehow was dropped – it wasn’t.
You are doing a lot of name calling and telling a lot of half-truths. I’m only an ‘insider’ in that I have an office at the courthouse – which I’m rarely in because the majority of my work is in the field. In a law making body, such as the Commissioners’ Court, opposition is voting against something, or at least making comments against it – neither of which the County Judge or Commissioners of Precincts 1 & 3 have done. If this law doesn’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2024, what is the hurry? Since this is the FIRST EVER Lubbock County ordinance, a little vetting won’t hurt. I’m not protecting game rooms. I am protecting liberty. (I’m sure now you’ll consider me ‘on the take’.) I’m surprised you support such government action, I thought you were a libertarian. Why do you want this ordinance so bad, so fast? It’s passing and the related fees are certainly going to eliminate someone’s competition. Are they a friends of yours? (See how stupid it all sounds?) I’m disappointed by such rhetoric.
You clearly have a limited sense of humor on this. Did you not catch the next sentence beginning with “Seriously”? Maybe there is something after all to the extreme reaction from courthouse insiders to regulating game rooms.
Yes, when it is implied that I am “on the take”, I have a very limited sense of humor. Maybe there is something after all to the extreme push for immediate passage of this ordinance and the elimination of competition by using extreme rhetoric and misleading statements.
What I wrote did not imply you are on the take. And there is nothing extreme about asking if someone is on the take or somehow otherwise protecting the game room operators when, for the past decade, nothing has been done about them. And, when an ordinance is finally put forward the sheriff and others engage in instant strident objections to policing the game rooms (including running down Commissioner Corley to people behind the scenes) and then, after public pressure is known, switching to putting off such as long as possible. In fact, it would be naive to not suspect that some may be providing cover for these operators.