Legislative

78th Texas Legislature

Margins Tax Letter
HR 629 - Bowling Pins Sent to Kuwait
Interlock Device Bill - MADD pushes for mandate
Minimum Wage Bill
DWI Checkpoint Bill
Tax exempt memo
Comptroller opinion of items taxable and non-taxable
Sales tax in Use of Debit Cards
BPAA Pending State Legislation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

E-dition No. 870 - Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com) 

Joaquin Cancels East Coast Bowling Centers Convention
As was first reported on BowlersJournal.com, the 2015 East Coast Bowling Centers Convention - which was to have been held Oct. 5-7 at the Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., had to be cancelled due to the on-shore impact of Hurricane Joaquin.
This decision was made by the convention committee and based on concerns for the safety of attendees, exhibitors and staff members. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had already declared a state of emergency ahead of anticipated severe weather, as did governors from three surrounding states.
"We're talking about more than just a little water washing over roads in low-lying areas," said Nick Wiltgen, senior digital meteorologist for The Weather Channel. "This is the kind of flooding that can put seawater into homes and businesses, disrupting people's lives and livelihoods."
Kelly Parker, Director of Meetings and Events for BPAA, said reimbursement for attendee registrations would be made within seven to 10 days.
"We appreciate your support of this decision and of the East Coast Bowling Centers Convention, and apologize for any inconvenience," Parker said. "If you have any questions or need any additional information, please call us." The number is888-649-5586or817-385-8476.
The 2016 ECBC Convention has been scheduled for Oct. 24-26, also at Atlantic City's Golden Nugget.

Steltronic Moves Into New Digs in Montclair, Calif.
Steltronic, a manufacturer of automatic scoring equipment and software, has moved into a larger warehouse in Montclair, Calif.
The new facility consolidates former locations in New Berlin, Wis., and San Dimas, Calif., and encompasses 6,160 square feet.
"With growing sales in the North American market, Steltronic [needed] more offices and warehouse space," said Jim Osdale, President of Steltronic North America. "The extra offices were needed to hire a software programming team to develop new software and extra features for our automatic scoring and complete center management operating system."
The new facility's address is: 4600 Arrow Highway, Montclair, CA 91763. The company's phone number remain unchanged:909-971-9656, and800-942-5939.

Paula Carter Elected to Florida Sports Hall of Fame
The Florida Sports Hall of Fame has announced nine 2015 inductees for its November ceremony at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
The selections span a breadth of sports and skills: former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy, University of Miami diving coach Randy Ableman, former University of Miami football star Bennie Blades, 1971 national Bowler of the Year Paula Carter, former Miami Marlin Jeff Conine, Jai-Alai legend Joey Cornblit, former University of Miami announcer Sonny Hirsch, former Dolphins Pro Bowl and All-Pro linebacker Zach Thomas, and goalie John Vanbiesbrouck, who was a three-time All-Star in five seasons with the Florida Panthers.
In addition to being a star bowler, Carter also was a long-time bowling center proprietor in Florida.
To learn more about the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, go to:http://floridasportshalloffame.blogspot.com

Robert Lawrence Joins KR Strikeforce
KR Strikeforce has announced that Robert Lawrence has joined the company as Southwest/West Coast Product Specialist.
Lawrence comes to KR with a wealth of experience in the industry. The Austin, Texas, native grew up in the bowling industry, managing centers, owning pro shops and traveling the country as a touring professional bowler. He holds three PBA Tour titles, including the 1992 U.S. Open. For the past 12 years, Lawrence was the Southwest Consumer Product Specialist for Brunswick.
"We are extremely excited to add Robert to the Strikeforce team," said Tony Mendiola, KR's Vice President of Sales. "His passion and knowledge of the industry fits perfectly with our group. He will play a key role in product development and strategy and helping to grow KR's market share."
Lawrence will cover the states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington. He can be reached at512-507-1073or via email atRobLaw@KRStrikeforce.com.

Junior Gold Schedule Is Overhauled for 2016
The Junior Gold Championships will expand its schedule by a day in 2016, one of several changes intended to provide a better experience for both competitors and attendees, and to prepare for continued growth of the event.
"As we started to see the record participation in Junior Gold last season, we put together a targeted survey to the bowlers themselves and commissioned a task force comprised of volunteer leaders, Junior Gold coordinators, former bowlers and staff to lay out 'what's next' for Junior Gold," said Chad Murphy, United States Bowling Congress Executive Director. "We are really proud to see such great response to the surveys and a clear direction from the task force to enhance the experience and build toward a brighter future for the sport through this event."
The 2016 Junior Gold Championships presented by Storm, Roto Grip and Master will take place July 15-23 in Indianapolis. Five bowling centers will be used for competition: Western Bowl, Expo Bowl, Woodland Bowl, All Star Bowl and Southern Bowl.
The extra day of competition allows for additional squads. This will mean fewer bowlers on each pair, will make the centers more accessible for family and friends, and will set up the tournament for additional growth, according to USBC. The TV finals for the event will take place on Saturday, July 23.
Business Briefs...
* Veteran Southern California bowling center proprietor Bill Mossontte has passed away. Mossontte was a multi-center owner who earlier this year closed Mission Hills Bowl, which had been in business since 1974. He cited a short-term lease, combined with the need for electrical and plumbing upgrades in order to maintain insurance coverage, as the reason for closing. Services are pending.
* Forest View Lanes in Bedford Township, Mich., received significant damage as the result of an early morning break-in that saw $1,100 in cash stolen. Deputies say surveillance cameras suggest the suspects, who were wearing masks, seemed to be familiar with how the center's alarm system worked, since it was not activated. Read more here:http://www.monroenews.com/news/2015/oct/07/bedford-bowling-alley-robbed-vandalized/

Other News You Can Use...
* Boston Red Sox centerfielder Mookie Betts, a rising star in major league baseball, has entered the PBA's GEICO World Series of Bowling VII, which will be held Dec. 7-19 at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. Betts, who turned 23 on Wednesday, will test his bowling skills against more than 200 of the best players in the world in the multi-event WSOB. During a number of media interviews throughout the 2015 baseball season, Betts discussed his love for bowling, and mentioned during one that he would love to participate in Chris Paul's annual CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational. Those discussions led the PBA to contact Betts and extend an invitation to bowl in the World Series.
* Damon Sarrocco is the guest this week on Phantom Radio, talking about his role in USBC's major tournaments. To listen to the interview, go to:http://www.kegel.net/phantom/2015/10-07-15-damon-sarrocco.mp3

* CONTACT: Please send business news, event information, etc. to Bob Johnson atbjibob@aol.com. For breaking business news, visithttp://www.bowlersjournal.com/?cat=6.

 

 

Concealed Carry Law to go in effect 1 January 2016

 

Texas's law that was passed over the summer will go into effect on January 1, 2016. The pros and cons of the discussion over the law are best seen in this summary of HB 910. Prior to this law passing, Texas actually had a rather strict law against concealed carry, one that was not in place in states like Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, or Mississippi. In all cases, the state law provides that, upon completion of specified requirements, a law-abiding person shall be granted a permit to carry concealed firearms.(See a full chart from the National Rifle Association; you can use the drop-down menu to see the different categories.)

That said, some states (and according to the same National Rifle Association map referenced above) including, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Mississippi have a restriction/partial ban on whether gun owners have the right to carry in restaurants.
In Texas, that means that private property/business owners do have the right to exclude license holders from their property. Here is the answer to question 36 on the Texas Department of Public Safety's FAQ.  

    36. Do private property/business owners have the right to exclude license holders from their property?
Yes.  Private property owners may exclude license holders from carrying concealed handguns on their property by providing notice as provided inSection 30.06, Texas Penal Code.  If you wish to prohibit license holders from carrying concealed handguns on your property, §30.06, Texas Penal Code requires you to post specific signage.  The sign must be in both English and Spanish, must include the specific language described by law, must appear in contrasting colors with block letters at least one inch in height and be displayed in a conspicuous manner clearly visible to the public. 
DPS does not furnish or sell these signs. You may print or purchase the signs from your local printing company. See Texas Penal Code §30.06, for the exact required language.
Here's the place you can find that specific language in Texas:  http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/chl/documents/HB910OpenCarryUpdate.pdf