Nearly 60 percent of Texas voters polled in a recent Rasmussen Reports survey said they support legalizing casino gambling to reduce the state's looming budget deficit.
The deficit could be upwards of $18 billion by the time lawmakers meet to write the budget next year.
Some lawmakers, who include Jim Pitts the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, have suggested that gambling should be a consideration for drawing additional revenue to the state.
Still, others, such as Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Gov. Rick Perry and former Houston mayor Bill White have not expressed support for the expansion of gambling in Texas.
The Rasmussen telephone poll of 500 likely voters shows that 57 percent of likely voters in the state are in favor of legalizing casino gambling, while 33 percent opposed such a measure. Ten percent remained undecided in the poll.
The same poll asked voters if they would support new taxes. About 68 percent said no, while 21 percent said they would pay additional taxes to reduce the deficit.
well of course Gov Rick Perry wouldn't support legalizing casino gambling. He gets campaign contributions from lobbyist hired by casinos in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas to keep casino gambling illegal in Texas. No gambling in Texas=big profits for casinos in the surrounding states.
Posted by: Mauri | May 25, 2010 at 12:43 PM