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Gambling = Big Pay Day For Public Schools

Could the bright lights and pulsing music of a casino mean a huge payday for Texas schools?

Some lawmakers are saying ca-ching, when they talk about the more than 20 bills filed to create different forms of gambling in Texas.

The bills vary like house bill 1337, allowing casino gambling in Texas cities and counties if local voters approve it.

Also senate joint resolution 18 that would create 12 major casino-anchored destinations throughout the state. But not everyone in Austin supports them.

"I don't want gambling in Texas," says East Texas Representative Leo Berman.

Representative Leo Berman doesn't believe gambling will benefit education or the state.

"For every dollar that someone spends on gambling, the state will have to spend three dollars," says Berman. Berman says Texas will spend more on gambling side effects like social services, crime and traffic enforcement.

Many East Texans don't like the idea either.

"I don't think that is the proper way to fund our schools I think there are other avenues we can look into that would be better," says Jim Hill of Tyler.

Plus, Representative Berman says the legislature has what it needs to save public schools.

"We've already got the money set aside for public school finance. We did this by cutting other state agencies to be honest. We cut everybody by 5 percent and we've got the 4.2 billion we need for public school education," says Berman