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Vikki Goodwin on Lt. Gov. race | Texas: The Issue is
State Rep. Vikki Goodwin talks about her candidacy for Lieutenant Governor.
When Vikki Goodwin announced she was running for lieutenant governor, she was dismissed as a long shot.
Now, the Austin Democrat is trying to turn the tables.
Goodwin sat down with the Texas Trio's Rudy Koski to talk about her vision for the position and putting casinos and sports betting on the ballot.
Goodwin's stance could essentially put those issues on the ballot in next year's general election face off with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Casino resorts and online sports betting
Goodwin: Well, I think that we should allow personal freedom, personal responsibility in the state of Texas. And I have been hearing that some people do want casinos to come to Texas. You know, I have friends who leave the state to go to Las Vegas, to Louisiana, et cetera. And they say, why can't we have it here in Texas? It seems like a recent survey showed that over 50% of Texans do gamble already. And so, why don't we allow them to vote to have a say?
Koski: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has pretty much set it in stone. No casino gambling, doesn't even like the lottery. Does this provide separation for you?
Goodwin: Well, I think the separation is that oftentimes the lieutenant governor thinks he knows best for Texans. And yet I think that we should let Texans have a say on many issues, not just casino gambling, but THC, school vouchers.
Koski: Isn't that kind of like punting the can to the voters though on the big issues? That's what you're hired to do is make those big choices though.
Goodwin: Right, but what we've seen is that in the Senate and sometimes even in the House, the members are not, they're falling in line. They're following the leader, what he wants, as opposed to listening to their constituents, in my opinion.
Koski: The last time that this issue came up and was pitched, we had destination resort casinos and only a select cities being involved. Do you like that idea or do you want something more broad?
Goodwin: I would like something more broad. I don't think that we should pick when we're deciding if we're going to allow casinos where they're gonna go and who's going to run them. I think that we should have more of a deliberative conversation about how that happens.
Koski: Is this a way for you to kind of reach out to the moderate, to the independent voters to say, you have a place with me?
Goodwin: I mean, certainly I want to reach out to moderate and independent-minded voters, but I think people of all stripes are interested in casino gambling.
Regulation of THC and marijuana
Koski: You mentioned other issues that you'd like to see go to maybe a public vote, and that being issues dealing with hemp products with THC and marijuana. Where do you stand with what the governor did with his executive order?
Goodwin: I believe in separation of powers, he's in the executive office. This should be handled legislatively, in my opinion.
Koski: How far should the legislature go with this issue? Does it go total legalization with marijuana in your mind?
Goodwin: Well, like I said, I think we need to have regulation around it. Legalization with some regulation.
Other issues
Koski: What are the other issues Vicki Goodwin wants to get out there to say, here's the separation, here's the apple, here is the orange.
Goodwin: Well, school vouchers would be one really big issue.
Koski: Are you worried some of the social issues could hurt you or is this a way for you to say I can still reach out to the moderates?
Goodwin: Look, social issues are important because I care about all people, but I don't think that should overshadow some of the bigger issues of, like I said, public education and healthcare access and water and housing affordability. It doesn't matter what your belief system is. You care about the basics of having a good job, being able to pay for things, affordability, that impacts everybody.
Leading a Republican majority chamber
Koski: If you're able to win this job, how do you manage a chamber that most likely will stay Republican-controlled?
Goodwin: It will have a very different temperature in the Senate. It will be more deliberative, more democratic. I will listen to senators and their opinions, and we will have debate. Right now, I feel like the attitude of the Lieutenant Governor is it's his way or the highway.
The Source: Information in this article comes from FOX 7's Rudy Koski's interview with state Rep. Vikki Goodwin.