Flynn preparing for next legislative session

State Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Van) has a long list of topics he wants to see addressed during the next legislative session.

At the top of his agenda is restricting the use of illegal gambling machines known as eight-liners. Flynn pre-filed a bill this week to be considered by the 80th regular session of the Texas Legislature when it begins in January, which would clarify the definition of the devices.

Flynn hopes the bill, if passed, would make it easier for law enforcement authorities to seize the machines.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t hear an outcry from our communities that clearly demands a stop to the continued blind eye that is turned on these vile game rooms,” Flynn said in a statement released Wednesday. “One only needs to drive around rural Texas to see the criminal activity happening in our own back yards.”

House Bill 330 would also move the burden of proof to the defendant in criminal cases to prove the machines were not being operated illegally. The bill also limits the value that can be won from any gaming machine to $50.

Flynn was re-elected earlier this month to District 2 in the Texas House of Representatives, which includes Hunt, Rains and Van Zandt counties.

Flynn told the Herald-Banner he also wants to see more action taken regarding property tax reduction and steroid use, among other issues.

“We want to see what we can do about continuing to have a decrease in property taxes,” Flynn said. “We think that is still a major priority.”

Lawmakers passed a bill during a special session earlier this year which is expected to reduce school property taxes by lowering the cap from $1.50 to $1.00 per $100 valuation by 2008.

Flynn said the subject of public school financing will also come up again during the regular session.

“An issue I am working on that I have had a lot of people concerned about is steroid use by high school students,” Flynn added.

Flynn was a member of the General Investigative and Ethics Committee in the House during the last legislature in the spring of 2005. The panel invited members of the Texas Education Association (TEA), the University Interscholastic League (UIL) and representatives of high school coaches associations to testify about the issue.

Flynn also promised to continue working on issues regarding immigration along the Texas/Mexico border.