For most of this week, the state Senate has been disagreeing over the language of a bill to legalize raffles by charities–which, according to older laws were considered to be gambling. Senators are worrying over language that might, in their opinion, opens the law to abuse.
Thursday in the Senate, a frustrated President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell told lawmakers that the bill he introduced to simply allow a certain amount of raffles, was not meant to extend the arm of government.
What happened to individual freedom? What happened to taking care of yourself? What happened to limited government? It’s gotten trounced on in this state. We should’ve never had this law in the first place, barring these raffles.
South Carolina’s law of no gaming, raffles for charities dates back to 1802. The Senate was in session until about 11 o’clock last night discussing the law, according to Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell. It was a debate for sure, or as the Charleston senator puts it–
Fighting the, I call them the so-called ‘do-gooders’ who want to tell people that they can’t make the best judgments regarding the dollars in their wallet if they want to buy a raffle ticket for charity.
McConnell gives details of what was discussed in session:
They wanted to now control so that only four times a year in a building could a raffle ticket be sold. Then, they were going to send the Department of Revenue in to do background checks on members of the charity, then charge the bill back to the charity.
McConnell, Republican, says it’s members of his own party who are putting up some fights on the gaming laws.
Yes they are. Ones with the yellow flags too. I told them last night, I said ‘I look at those flags and I know what those flags stand for: Don’t tread on me. But, I said, you need to add there, but I can tread on you.
There are more than 140 amendments proposed to this bill.
