The Texas Young Republican Federation (TYRF) is thankful and supportive of the recent decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to rule the federal ban on sports betting, Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), as unconstitutional. We back this decision for three reasons:

 

  1. We support personal responsibility. While we take no stance on gambling and we believe a free people should be able to make free choices as long as those choices do not harm others.
  2. Federalism works! The more power in the hands of state governments the stronger our nation will be. California and Texas can make drastically different decisions, but these decisions give real choice for American citizens.
  3. This decision shows a crack in the recent understanding and overexpansion of Interstate Commerce Clause. Since Wickard v Filburn was decided in 1942, the federal government has used the ICC to create more and more regulations and take away states’ rights. It is the hope of the Texas Young Republicans that the overturning of PASPA is the first in a series of decisions that sends control back to the states.

 

“We cheer on this decision not because we support sports betting, but because we support liberty and states’ rights,” Jonathan Gaspard TYRF Policy Director said.