Sin tax passes out of House with almost no opposition

Last session, lawmakers approved a $5 fee for strip clubs, creating a de facto sin tax. While that fee is being challenged in court, Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D) and Rep. Mike Hamilton (R) got together to repeal the fee and impose an occupations tax on the gross receipts of all sexually-oriented businesses. HB 982 went through committee with no opposition, and passed the House yesterday 141-1 (Rep. Brandon Creighton, R, was the only dissenting vote). Now, as it heads toward the Senate, we're looking at the creation of an actual sin tax.

Reading the bill analysis, it sounds like the only reason for this legislation is that the intended recipients of the $5 fee from last session (sexual assault program fund or the Texas health opportunity pool) have not seen any of the money collected.

I was pretty astonished to read the House record vote on HB 982; only one conservative Republican stood against the creation of a new tax. That really blows my mind, though at this point, why should it?