The Senate Committee on Finance met on February 14th to discuss the following Article VII agencies. This report focuses on LBB and agency presentations for the following topics:
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Motor Vehicles
- Workforce Commission; Reimbursements to the Unemployment Compensation Benefit Account
- Department of Housing and Community Affairs
- Lottery Commission
A video of part I of this hearing can be found here and part II will be posted here.
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Department of Transportation
Thomas Galvan, LBB
- LBB presentation here
- $35.6b in all funds; $3.9b increase for the biennium; FTE cap maintained
- Biennial increase in highway planning design/maintenance; $2.5b increase in federal funds
- GR increase of $550m maritime and ship channel revolve
- Net increase of $22.5m for public transportation
- Net decrease in aviation services $13m $27m COVID-19 increase
- Net decrease of $30m for rail transportation; was one-time funding
- Net decrease of $63m for central administration
- Increase $138m all funds for employee salary increases
- Vast majority of $30.5b for highway projects
- Total of $12.8b of federal funds; includes $462.4m remaining COVID-19 funds
- IIJA funding for various projects 2022-2026; LAR did not specify how much funds are coming to Texas
- $5.4b in Prop 1 transfers; $679m increase
- BRE includes 6.9b for state highway fund; will shift appropriation adjustment to align with BRE
- $13.3b has been transferred through Prop 1 to the state highway fund
- Prop 7 transfers $6.7b increase of $840m; includes $2.5b from state sales tax allocations
- Will offer an adjustment to the committee for the bill
- Chair Huffman – Some of these numbers are different from;
- Prop 1 and Prop 7 BRE includes a greater amount than in the bill, can offer a recommendation to adjust the bill; totals about $1.7b additional
- Kolkhorst – Count against the constitutional cap?
- No
- Chair Huffman – Want members to be clear this is historic contributions to this fund
- Yes; record transfer for Prop 1
- $550m for maritime capital improvement funding; includes ship channel revolving fund
- $295m for TxDOT facilities capitol facilities, deferred maintenance
- Decrease in 84.9b in revenue bonds
- $222m in SHF for various IT initiatives; $120.5b for current obligations
- $182 for other capitol equipment
- $2.2b in all funds for debt service payments for bond programs
- Budget structure has changed; used to be standalone for Prop 1 and Prop 7
- Riders modified to reflect changes spoken about earlier
- New rider to direct allocation of GR dedicated funds revolving
- Five deleted riders
- Exceptional items total $101.5m and 349 additional FTEs
- Bruce Bugg, Chair Texas Transportation Commission
- Have been working to get projects started and completed since my appointment
- Props 1 and 7 have allowed TxDOT to deliver a historic amount of transportation projects and historic funding amounts
- Most recent deposits from Props 1 and 7 total $26.5b since 2015
- TxDOT expended $66.5b 2015-2022 on construction, maintenance and related costs for transportation projects
- Texas Transportation Commission adopted a historic $85b UTP for 2023
- Includes $14b in safety investment, $14b for rural Texas and $2.5b for Texas energy sector projects; added $32b for TxDOT’s routine maintenance contracts
- Totals $117b for transportation over the next decade
- TxDOT has a record $33b in active construction
- Plan to invest more in the future; 2024 UTP expected to total $95b
- Have seen historic project letting; $10.6b by the end of the fiscal year
- 2023 TxDOT is targeting $11.4b in project deliveries this year and for other project development
Mark Williams, Executive Director TxDOT
- Historic revenue levels have translated to historic project lettings
- 9% of funding derived from state revenue sources gives flexibility; Prop 1 and Prop 7 total more than
- 5% of revenue received for development/maintenance of infrastructure; as funding increases, so does that number
- Have delt with inflation and labor shortage issues
- Request consideration for extending Sunset expiration dates for Props 1 and 7 as they are within our 10-year planning
- Need to be mindful of the availability of non-dedicated state highway funds
- $12m flight services at Austin-Bergstrom airport, $550m for critical port activities, $94m for airport facilities development, $7.9m for public transit
- Focus on FTE request: 249 going into district operations, funding for ferry operations
- In past, Prop 1 and 7 have been outside of traditional budget; current budget combines 1 and 7 in our budget structure, ask transferability to be increased from 5 to 10%
- Hancock – Had a problem with paying for TxDOT; thanks Nichols for his work on Props 1 and 7
- Flores – Tell us about planning for expansion of urban areas?
- Have an increase in rural funding, but have focused on the Texas Clear Lanes Program to target bottlenecks; are still large projects on the horizon
- Hinojosa – Have a rider for a set aside for land ports in the Valley; urge you to increase the amount set aside for the ports
- Has been an important source of funding; are working on 2024 UTP and that is under active consideration
- Hinojosa – Are many projects that have been stalled and TxDOT has taken some on?
- Projects in the Valley have stalled and have taken on a number of them in house
- Hinojosa – Port of Corpus Christi is fast growing; set aside $400m for improvement revolving fund; for dredging only?
- Yes; revolving fund indented to help ports match projects that come through the U.S. Army Corps for deepening/widening of the ship channel
- Hinojosa – What is the difference between that and the Port Access Improvement Program?
- Have Port Access Funds for outside of the gate system
- $150m for capital improvement is directed towards grants inside the gate including infrastructure
- Hinojosa – If have leftover funds for expansion/deepening could consider moving some of those funds to the port capital improvement program
- Hinojosa – Nichols and I are concerned about getting more highway workers out there – FTEs?
- 249 FTEs would be going in the districts for efficient execution of projects
- Rely on outsourcing contracts
- Hinojosa – Have proper staff to stay on top issues engineering/design plans of Harbor Bridge?
- Have been challenges with the project; construction activity has fully resumed after addressing deficiencies in the design plans
- Have one remaining item to be addressed
- Nichols – Overviews work done to provide adequate funding for TxDOT; need to figure out what to do for the Sunset dates
- Nichols – How do we ramp projects up so we can get that cash balance down?
- Have a significant ramp up in projects; will exceed last years’ historic project letting
- Bugg – $33b in progress with construction
- Nichols – Have the flexibility to ramp up on the front end of project development?
- Concerned current structure folds them into the overall budget and subject them to the 5% limitation; why request increasing flexibility to 10%
- Nichols – Amendment funds can only be used for non-tow roads/bridges; able to put up a larger amount for project development?
- Yes
- Nichols – Combining it with the rest of your budget ties your hand with that 5% restriction?
- Yes
- Zaffirini – Most pressing challenge to counties’ infrastructure?
- Counties have faced challenges on their roads due to oil and gas traffic; some funding has gone to counties to address those areas
- Stephen Stewart, CFO – Last session $200m from ESF went to fund the County Infrastructure Fund
- Zaffirini – Requesting budget transferability for what projects?
- Stewart – Rider 3 limits to transferability
- Zaffirini – How many bridges in Texas in dangerous state of disrepair?
- Do not have specific number; increased bridge funding and Texas has the lowest percentage of bridges in disrepair in the nation; still have work to do
- Zaffirini – Focus on the safety of construction crews?
- Focus is top of mind; with increase in construction, work zones are a dangerous area
- Zaffirini – Funding for general aviation ports?
- Have 280 general aviation ports; $94m increase to that program including recovering decrease in buying power
- Zaffirini – Includes ensuring airports can deal with winter weather or that they have sufficient de-icing equipment?
- $10m in increase to the Routine Maintenance program; airports themselves have responsibility to deal with such conditions
- Zaffirini – How does funding request align with reducing congestion and
- Asked for an increase funding based on per-capita levels
- Zaffirini – Need Port Access Improvement funding for inland ports
- Address those funding needs elsewhere; have made significant investments in UTP and Rider 11b to address Laredo ports
- Zaffirini – Need to do more as the Laredo port is 57.6% of land port trade
- West – Pull down how much federal funds for the airport improvement program
- $100m in total is split between federal and state
- West – What do funds go to?
- Maintain a capitol improvement program with a backlog of needs including maintaining
- West – Money needed for safety and security?
- Yes
- West – Include $462m in COVID-19 funds, already obligated?
- Stewart – Majority have been obligated for the state managed portion; $168m directly allocated to met planning organizations have not been obligated yet
- West – Capitol equipment and transportation $181m from SHF; what kind of equipment
- Stewart – Portion for replacement of fleet vehicles $160m related replacing existing heavy equipment
- West – What happens to the old vehicles? What happens to those funds?
- Stewart – Sell them; would go back into the SHF
- West – Have a couple inland ports in district; does TxDOT provide them funds?
- Do not provide direct funding, but do invest in the surrounding infrastructure
- West – Governor’s stance on DEI; how would impact your agency?
- Reminded state agencies to ensure our efforts comply with state/federal law
- West – Your agency is already complying with what is laid out in that letter?
- Yes
- West – Notes the Dallas Horseshoe was a Proposition 12 project
- Paxton and Williams discuss the Help End the Streak Campaign
- Creighton – Progress of the Grand Parkway Loop has legs not completed?
- Counties declared primacy on those that have not been completed; Galveston and Brazoria recently waived their primacy and TxDOT will step in
- Creighton – Shed light on if the loop will be completed as promised?
- Remain committed to what was established in the agreement
- Creighton – How can we be sure funding is formulated fairly?
- Project funding formulas differ depending on what allocating to
- Creighton – Which is number one cause of fatal crashes?
- Distracted driving, driving while intoxicated, driving while speeding
- Creighton – Ship improvement revolving fund; account
- Capital Improvement Program addresses needs for port operations inside the gate
- Creighton – Will look into funding
- Creighton – How many engineers inside the department?
- Steward – A few thousand
- Kolkhorst – How much coming from IIJA and what can we use on? Funds are not new? Just strings attached to old dollars?
- Are new funds about a 20% increase; can use some for highways
- New fund categories: carbon reduction program, PROTECT resiliency program to address bridge structures, electric vehicle charging corridor program, and bridge
- Kolkhorst – Fuel corridor program a partnership with convenience stores? Schwertner will hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss this
- Yes, $400m federal funds coming to Texas for that program; aim to work with the private sector and not use any state dollars for this program
- Kolkhorst – Have not utilized new funds?
- Many have not as they have gone through a rulemaking process
- Kolkhorst – What are your plans to address local governments’ concerns with TxDOT coming in and causing harm to businesses?
- We will work with them
- Perry – When projects get into the 10-year plan they are ready to go?
- J
- Perry – Are those funds only for the full phases of project development/delivery/maintenance?
- Yes
- Perry – How large unfunded projects backlog that need planning? Concerned about I-27 project
- Will share that information with up
- Nichols – Completed moving out of old buildings and built consolidated campus?
- Process of closing out operations; occupancy varies from 50-70%
- Chair Huffman – Recommend front ending these projects; need to know you are able to handle the among of funding you currently have
Department of Motor Vehicles
Thomas Galvan, LBB
- LBB presentation here
- $376m in all funds; increase $31m; maintain FTE cap
- Most decreases are a result of previous one time costs
- Decrease in $71.3 IT projects
- Increase $14m in GR from motor vehicle crime grants
- Decrease 62.m for preliminary camp Hubbard
- Decrease 2.6m headquarters maintenance
- Increase 6.6m other funds for data center services
- Increase 14m in other funds from license plate program
- Increase from IR support 7.8m
- Include 10.5m other funds Texas DMV fund to maintain registration titling system
- Not included Phase I titling system
- Headquarter renewal project requesting $143m in revenue bonds; not included in recommendations
- Capital facilities maintenance new expended balance authority
- Data center; 26.9m other funds TxDMV fund to maintain DCS obligations and other one time costs
- GR funding increase MVCPA; 44.2m for grants and a new rider that limited to the amount of revenue collected
- BRE total estimates MVCPA $237m; will
- Riders modified to align w
- New Rider for UP regional center and MVCPA
- Exceptional items include $186m in all funds
Daniel Avitia, Executive Director TxDMV
- Appreciate salary increases included in the base budget
- Requesting 5 exceptional items
- Exceptional item 1: to replace states legacy Registration and Titling System (RTS)
- Exceptional item 2: second regional service center in Dallas and Houston regions
- Exceptional item 3: construction of a new office building and renovations to existing facilities at the agency’s Camp Hubbard headquarters in Austin
- Exceptional item 4: additional staffing to meet growing work loads
- Exceptional item 5: increase the state’s inventory of general issue license plates from a three-month supply to a six-month supply and to maintain inventory to satisfy current annual demand
- Perry – RTS replacement?
- $6.75m in phase I and expect two phases; total could exceed $100m
- Perry – You need to get input from those in the field
- Zaffirini – Cost of only producing one license plate in the back rather than front and back? feasible?
- Can get that to you; yes
- West and Avitia discuss the importance of adding regional service centers in Houston and Dallas
- West – What criteria used to determine where they are located?
- Have analyzed use zip codes usage; possible will be South East Dallas
- Hall – What real purpose does registering vehicles twice have? Why do we need temporary tags and then metal?
- Most dealerships do not have the metal plates
- Hall – Why not license the vehicle, not the person? Could be issued by dealer; should look into this
- All considerations are on the table
- Nichols – Regional service center
- Glenna Bowman, CFO TxDMV – One time only costs in the first year, set up office, ongoing costs of $1m
- Nichols – Get us more details on that
- Nichols – Why is license plate inventory only an exceptional item?
- Bowman – Did not have this information when we first submitted the LAR
- Nichols – Customer does not pay enough to cover the license plate?
- Bowman – Yes
- West – Why are we leasing a location for a regional service center? How large needed?
- Typically do not construct ourselves or co-locate with TxDOT
- About 22 FTEs
- West – TxDOT has a regional center in Dallas, could co-locate with TxDOT; will talk more
- Chair Huffman – TDCJ used to help with the manufacturing of license plates? Anything we need to do to help increase their production?
- Still have a good relationship with them; will let you know
Workforce Commission
Lyle Blanco, LBB
- Reviews LBB recommendations; presentation can be found here
Reimbursements to the Unemployment Compensation Benefit Account
Lyle Blanco, LBB
- LBB presentation can be found here
- All funds $41.9; $5.5m decrease
Ed Serna, Executive Director TWC
- TWC asking for $2.5b all funds
- Have four exceptional items and three capital budget items not included in SB 1
- $35m for matching funds to draw down $52m federal funds for childcare
- $650k and 6 FTEs for Civil Rights division; have a large backlog
- $7.5m for pre-apprenticeship pathways program
- $25m for Skills Development Fund
- Overviews capital budget items requests; are seeking appropriations authority to proceed
- West – Why does $400m remain of one-time capacity funding remaining for childcare?
- Have not have a lot of takers; last tranche is coming out soon
- West – Asks about childcare closures
- Have programs that aim to prevent closers and add more to the workforce
- Is a large issue; even if we increase rates, would only effect 13% of the children served
- Perry – Talks about the increasing costs of child care
- Zaffirini – Impact on employment if you do not get the $32m for the federal drawn down?
- Many may have to leave the workforce
- Zaffirini – Should provide minimal call center training to take burden off the agency?
- Created a new customer care center and expanded use of online technologies
- Challenge would be continuously having to pre-train volunteer
- Hinojosa – Computer systems got overwhelmed?
- Yes and causes inefficiencies; have a request for two systems
- Nichols – TSTC has commercial drivers license courses; commercial driver license grant program that goes through TWC? Programs have been self-sustaining
- Correct
- Nichols – Should focus on expanding that program and if we do, the faster we will run out of those grants
- West – Have been able to get a handle on unemployment claim fraud?
- Yes, have tools in place to address it; did not have as big a problem as other states
- Paid out $57b-$59b during that time and fraud totaled in the millions
Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Shaun Leaper, LBB
- LBB presentation can be found here
- $1.3b all funds, decrease of $1.b; increasing FTE to 416 in 2024 and 408 in 2025
- Increase $8.8m in appropriated receipts
- Increase $1.7m in GR and $900k federal funds for salary increases
Bobby Wilkinson, Executive Director TDHCA
- 2022 Competitive Tax Program funded 4k low-income units
- Homeowner Assistance Program has paid out $330m
- Rental Assistance program has paid out total $2.1b
Jim Hicks, Executive Director Manufactured Housing Division
- Division issued 61k statements of ownerships, issued 2k occupational licenses
- Appropriations total $13.4m
- Rider will not cost any funds; will only allow us to keep the funds we already have
- West – Rent Relief Program vendor having performance problems still involved in the program?
- Yes, but does not make sense while we are winding down the programs to transfer to another vendor; have paid them tens of millions
- West – Will have offline conversation with you; not impressed with how situation was handled
- Kolkhorst – Provide our offices with the audits of this situation
- Kolkhorst – Housing tax credits? Non competitive?
- Competitive tax credit program supports 70% of the cost of an affordable housing development
- Those would have to be issued through private activity bonds
- Kolkhorst – Some communities are over subscribed to this; how to slow this down?
- Have dispersion in statute and the QAEP
- Kolkhorst – Concerned about out of state developers targeting one community; should maybe consider riders to redraw those districts
- Perry – Affordable housing for the elderly in my district has been successful; if federal match occurs could be about 3k affordable houses; would like more conversation with you on this
Lottery Commission
Jeb Bell, LBB
- $637.4m in all funds; maintaining FTEs and GRD account
- $7.8b expected for lottery sales in 2024 and 2025
- Recommendations do not include $17.4m exceptional item
Gary Grief, Executive Director Texas Lottery Commission
- Set sales and revenue for 2022 was about $8.3b; 12th year in a row setting a record
- Generating $2b for public education and veterans service; will exceed that in 2023
- Transferred $1.97b to FSF and $26m to veterans assistance fund
- Overviews the State Lottery Act
- $17.4m exceptional item request asking for authority to use currently available funds to print scratch tickets; to address the approximately 40% increase in contractual costs to vendors for scratch ticket production
- Could see a decrease in revenue for education and veterans of $14m a year
- Hinojosa – Would be losing out on funds if we did not grant the exceptional item?
- Yes
- Perry – Statute prohibits playing lottery by phone, interesting point to be aware of, believes they may be violating law with strict reading
- Nichols – Had a similar question, you do not have online
- They do not sell any tickets over the phone or online but there are third party companies that have established relationships with brick and mortar retailors
- They know how many tickets are generated off the terminals
- Nichols – confirming this was done without their knowledge
- They license retailers, but in like a power ball ticket, once it is sold it is out of their purview until it is brought back to be claimed
- Nichols – Does your license speak to this issue? Concern this is happening, kids are playing it and commission is not doing anything to stop it
- Its 3 or 4 years old, don’t believe they have purview over it
- Do not see a violation of statute
- Perry – Believes statute gives them authority to what they need to do to prevent underage kids from buying and believe they can also prevent online purchases, statute gives them ability to restrict what license does
- Hughes – Contract from 2012 gives them pricing for printing tickets, wants to know more about this contract process
- Only three companies in the world that can print lottery tickets
- Will see an increase in prices the second year this coming biennium
- Hughes – Seems like there may be a better way to address
Public Testimony
Emily Knight, Texas Restaurant Association
- Labor shortage is a top challenge
- Appreciates investments in workforce
- Notes JET programs are very helpful, would like them expanded
- Start up cost for kitchens funding requested
- Support for child care projects requested
Jay Crossley, Farm and City Nonprofit
- Compliments evolution of TxDOT budget in relation to safety
- AEA sidewalk program of concern, need meaningful equal access to people with disabilities
- Requests $160 million ten-year budget to help address
Larry Kelley, Port of Port Arthur
- Points out port funding in TxDOT
- Appreciates ask for funding, $400 million and $150 million for channel funding
- Need is greater than the ask, asking for additional funding
- Clarifies in total there are $10 billion in funding needs
Victor Martinez, Port of Palacios
- Points out port funding in TxDOT
- Funding in bill just scratches surface of need
- Asking for $1.75 billion in additional funding
Shay Luedeke, Tax Assessor Collector for Bell County
- DMV request on RTS replacement
- This item will have broadest and positive impact
- Work to maintain two way communication between county office and state
Tom Hedrick, Private Equity Investor
- Support for strengthening childcare systems
- Childcare could be considered infrastructure
Jennie Hearing, owner of childcare centers
- Request attention for childcare centers
- Tells story of challenges keeping their facility open
Kim Kofron, Education for Children at Risk
- Issues facing childcare facilities are not new
- Request investment in childcare industry and funding for Texas Workforce to address
David Feigen, Texas Care for Children
- Relief grants during COVID helped so many providers stay open but funding is going away and programs will still struggle
- Teachers making on average $11 an hour, family of four pays $18k a year on childcare…the solution is investment in child care
- Provides a proposal to committee $2 billion to create stabilization grant and recruitment and retention bonuses to keep educators in the field
Melanie Rubin, North Texas Early Education Alliance
- Need to invest dollars in early childhood education
- Many Texans live in childcare desert
Tracy Hanson, owner of Education Connection in Killeen
- Make childcare funding a priority this session
- Received a text today that one of their employees went to Buc-ee’s for $16 an hour
Angie Rainford, trainer for early childhood
- Their early childhood educators are essential workers and many are working for a non-living wage
Julian Alvarez, LoneStar National Bank
- Struggling to fill positions due to childcare issues
- Working to provide onsite childcare
- Hinojosa – thanks him for his work on the Workforce Commission
Cynthia McCollum, owner of preschools in Austin Open Door
- Have had to close doors of one facility
- Struggled to get families back, lost teachers to higher paying jobs
- Childcare centers need Texas to step up and provide relief that was once provided in the relief grants
Cody Somerville, Texas Association of Young Children
- Only one out of every 10 childcare workers earn a living wage, primary issue for turnover
- Cannot provide higher wages without raising tuition which is high for many families already
Alice Bradley, Co-Owner of Bright Beginnings
- Was an Austin ISD teacher in 1976, took 47 years to earn a livable salary, but child care workers are that boat of waiting for a living wage and often referred to as baby sitters
Edward Bradley, Co-Owner of Bright Beginnings
- Request of funding in budget to stabilize childcare
- Tells personal story of impact of lack of funding
Jackelyn Riza, Flowers in Garden Child Center
- In October of 2021 was able to open up the facility, but need to take another job to make enough money
- CCRF funds/federal funds allowed her to keep doors open and keep low student to staff ratios
Heather DeLaGarza, Texas Hospital Association
- Support Workforce programs that support health care positions
- Supports registered apprenticeship initiative
- Urges committee to fund fully the exceptional item requests from Workforce
Renzo Soto, Texas 2036
- TWC enhance wage data pilot
- Texas employers reporting workforce shortage, need to support homegrown workforce pipeline
- Missing occupational data, to match state programs with workforce needs
- HB 3767 authorizes a pilot and collection of data
Robin Wells, owner of two preschools
- Make childcare funding a priority, specifically through supplemental wage funding
- Need to supplement not supplant funding
Sandy Dochen, Retired from IBM and on Early Matters Greater Austin
- Discusses need to keep up with market and need for child care centers
- Training will be needed for infrastructure workers, need slots and child care centers to allow for this
Thomas Kennedy, Texas State Building Trade Council
- Thanks them for support of apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships programs
- Monies from TWC are used to supplement education cost
Franklin Fischer, Life Works
- Supports proposed program in TDHCA to help youth with stable housing and ability to grow
Susan McDowell, Life Works
- Support Creation of youth and young adult housing services program in TDHCA
- 75% of youth experiencing homelessness have been in foster care, juvenile care or both
Amy Ledbetter Parham, Habitat for Humanity
- 100k new homes need to be built every year in state of Texas to keep up with growth
- Need more tools in toolbox to address growth, one time funding of a $50 million revolving loan fund and include a trade development workforce
Lauren Rose, Texas Network of Youth Experiences
- Deepen states investment of youth experiencing homelessness
- Create a new grant program that would go across the state including rural communities
- Federal foster vouchers are going unused because they cannot find landlords who will use them
Ronald Smith, self
- Tells story of young adults experiencing homelessness
- Addressing youth homelessness should be a priority of legislature
Rebecca Saenz, Montrose Grace Place
- Would like funding and attention for homeless youth
- With more funding could hire staff to address needs
Kim Jefferies, Haven for Hope
- Discussed Homeless Housing and Services programs which funds largest cities
- HHSP was $10 million per year and now base appropriation is $5 million per year despite inflation and population growing
- Request increase statewide base to increase $11.9 million
Ray Hymel, Texas Public Employees Association
- Thanks for providing raises to state agencies in budgets for employees
- Workforce addresses unemployment, there may need to be salary increases to ensure that workforce is up to the task
- TWC also has area of employment services and recommends supporting that area as well
Rob Kohler, Christian Life Commission
- Against lottery item because they have allowed third parties to gamble on phone, over internet and some over seas
- In 2015 thru 2020 in rulemaking, Lottery carved out processing and process of filing out ticket
- Argues rules were changed to allow this third-party system to happen
- Hall – what you are talking about is something that expands gambling and we know addiction is a problem, lottery has stepped out of bounds
- Nichols – confirms they changed rules so it could be done?
- Yes, final rule was done June of 2020
- They will provide analysis to members on this
- Huffman – they were probably meeting via zoom
- Yes