Out of the clear blue, with no warning or whispers at all, the Texas House took the first step to do away with the state lottery today.

In an outcome that left many House members stunned, a bill to continue the Texas Lottery Commission failed on Tuesday, potentially abolishing scratch-off tickets, charity bingo and other popular games of chance and blowing a new hole in the state budget.

The House voted 65-81 on House Bill 2197 which would have continued the functions of the Texas Lottery Commission. The vote reflected a growing sentiment among House members that the lottery unfairly preys on the state’s low-income residents.

This, however, means that we’ll now have a $2.2 billion hole in the Texas budget.

I understand that the lottery preys on the poor and is a tax on people who are bad at math.  But, last year $963 million was transferred to the Foundation School Account. Another $8.1 million was transferred to the Texas Veterans Commission.

So, we’re still hurting the least powerful among us.  And if you think Rick Perry is going to ask the super rich or corporations to make up that loss, you’re doing drugs.  Lotsa drugs.

By the way, they will also do away with VFW Bingo night and bingo at Catholic churches.  This will not be good news to small towns with VFW halls.  I suspect we’ll start betting on dominoes.

Never mind.  http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/04/house-votes-against-continuing-state-lottery.html/