The casino industry lobby has filed legal challenges against two petitions that propose a tripling of the state’s gaming tax. The Nevada Resort Association claims that the petitions amount to taxation without representation because they would allow other states’ tax rates to influence Nevada’s.

Under the petitions, the gaming tax rate in Nevada would be set at the average maximum rate applied in the 11 other states with casino gambling. The petitions would earmark the USD 2 billion a year raised by the tax increase for projects including state highway construction and teacher salary increases.

One of them would remove property taxes from every owner-occupied home in Nevada. The petitions need 58,628 valid signatures by May 20 to get on the ballot.