The gambling industry told the House State Affairs Committee casinos and sports betting could bring in hundreds of millions in tax revenue.
Members of both political parties are pushing a constitutional amendment to license a handful of casinos across the Lone Star State.
Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth filed a resolution to allow Texans to vote on seven commercial casinos and a sports wagering program.
Phelan faced opposition from Rep. Tony Tinderholt, who objected to his appointment of Democratic committee chairs during the 87th Legislature.
Tarrant County’s representatives in the Texas Legislature have held important chairmanships in past sessions and likely will again.
The ruling comes as the plaintiffs and TEC were engaged in settlement discussions.
The issue centers on whether the race for Texas speaker counts as a formal election or an internal House procedure.
Texas Sands PAC has given more than a million dollars to Texas politicians and candidates this year.
The Texas Senate State Affairs Committee has passed the bill and it now awaits consideration by the full Senate.
State party officials currently are not required to resign their post before running for another political office, but newly-passed legislation would close that discrepancy.
The Republicans’ election security bill went down in flames after Democrats walked out of the House as it was being considered.
As constitutional carry continues to make progress through the Texas legislature, the Senate approved a measure to eliminate the fee for a License to Carry.
