Most of us love to hear a good old fashioned rags to riches story, especially when it's accompanied by hard work or a brilliant innovative idea. Winning the lottery for some people, including a handful of Michigan lawmakers falls into a different category. A viewer had heard rumors about the possibility of welfare recipients having to give up lottery winnings. The answers I found for them are the subject of this Fact Finder.
State Representative Tom McMillin (R-45th District) says when it comes to the lottery, he has seen it all too often, "people see that $10 million or $50 million and their eyes glaze over and they spend tons of money."
But spending tons of money on the chance to become a millionaire shouldn't be for everyone, at least that's what Representative McMillin and 3 other Michigan lawmakers think. McMillin says he has seen the numbers, and in his opinion, those who shouldn't buy lottery tickets are in an unacceptable volume, "They are really throwing their money away. It's false hope I have seen too many times. I know from the analysis of the counties and zip codes, where sales are the highest in the poorest neighborhoods."
So these legislators have introduced House Bill 6534. It's one of the shortest bills you'll ever read. It's only two sentences long and pretty straight forward. In his own words and in just about as many as are in the bill, McMillin breaks it down, "It calls for limiting anybody that is on welfare, state welfare, would not be able to win anything more than $600 from the lottery."
So why $600? If you win less than that, you can collect it at the store. If you win more than $600 you have to go Lansing and prove your identity to claim your prize. That's when McMillin says this bill would catch up to some winners. He explains "when they go to Lansing we would match up their name and address, identifying information and match it up with the welfare rolls. If they are on it, they would not be able to win anything more than $600."
State Representative McMillin says he isn't saying those who are poor shouldn't pay the lottery, but he says there is a point where someone needs to step in, "We can't restrict people from buying lottery tickets but my view is that if somebody is taking our money, taxpayer money to get by to through a difficult situation in their life, then they don't need to be throwing their money away in the lottery and its to act as a deterrent. Certainly the lottery is one of the worst gambles a person can make."
So if House Bill 6534 passes, as part of the recent call for welfare reform in Lansing, those who get help in the form of bridge cards or cash assistance won't be able to more than $600 in "help" from the Michigan lottery. Bottom line according to Representative McMillin: "If you are compelled to play the lottery just get off welfare. I am not saying that everyone that is poor is on welfare, I am not saying that everybody that is poor shouldn't pay the lottery, but if you are on welfare and you are taking our taxpayer money, I think that they should, that we should deter them from throwing their money away."
So what do you think? Agree or disagree? Please leave a comment below.
