HB 85: The Raffle Bill
I think the first bill needs a bit of background.
As we all know, there are a lot of “criminal and other undesirable elements” in the dark world of Bingo. You can go to jail if you don’t follow NC’s well-thought out Bingo laws.
Then there is the evil that goes by the name of “raffles.” Under current law, there are very specific limitations on raffles.
Under current law, the most that can be awarded in a raffle is
$50,000. This may be obvious, but “Raffles shall not be conducted
in conjunction with bingo.” Imagine if you had both at the same
time!
Rep. Burr and Rep. Sager have introduced a bill (HB 85)
that would increase the $50,000 limit to $125,000. They are
really pushing the envelope on this–we will see what happens.
For some reason, I feel like these existing laws to restrain “gambling” may be a little hypocritical.
SB 87: Taxpayers’ Protection Act
Senator Tillman has introduced a constitutional amendment that would
limit “the annual growth of the State budget to a percentage equal to
the sum of annual inflation and the State’s annual population growth
rate.”
There are exceptions that exist, such as if the legislature votes “to
increase the fiscal year spending limit established under this section.
An increase in the fiscal year spending limit must be approved by a
three‑fifths majority of the members of each chamber of the General
Assembly.”
