House Puts Expansion Of Casino Gaming Back On The Table To Help Solve Revenue Crunch
House pushes casino games, teacher raises in committee
by Dale Denwalt, NewsOK.com
House lawmakers advanced familiar measures Tuesday but didn’t consider a Rainy Day Fund spending bill approved by the Senate a day earlier.
The House Rules Committee gave approval to a measure that allows tribal casinos use dice and roulette balls, which are now banned. It would raise an additional $8.2 million this year for education and general spending accounts.
An identical bill was introduced in May but quickly scuttled as lawmakers searched for new revenue.
Committee members also advanced a proposal raising the gross production tax rate on older wells from 4 percent to 7 percent. House leadership announced their plans Monday. If adopted, it would boost state revenue by 51 percent over the next eight months, according to fiscal analysts.