North Carolina lawmakers are drafting legislation that would make it unlawful for vendors to sell lottery tickets to customers they know are bankrupt or on welfare.
State Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam told ABC11 that in obvious cases, such as when customers pay for groceries with food stamps, they shouldn’t be allowed to buy lottery tickets at the same time.
The new measure would affect more than 1.7 million North Carolina residents who are currently on food stamps.
“We’re giving them welfare to help them live, and yet by selling them a ticket, we’re taking away their money that is there to provide them the barest of necessities,” Mr. Stam said.
Some lottery critics claim the lottery is a tax on the poor, the uneducated and the elderly, who are more likely to buy lottery tickets.
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Jessica Chasmar is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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