Restrictions on the Minnesota Lottery continue to wend their way through the state Legislature, as two similar bills passed Senate Taxes Committee today.
The bills, which are making their way through both houses of the Legislature, are nearly identical to legislation that passed last year by wide, bipartisan majorities but was vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton as the session ended, giving the Legislature no chance to override.
The legislation would roll back the State Lottery's years-old effort to offer new ways to buy lottery tickets on new platforms, such as at ATMs, gas station pumps and online.
The Taxes Committee hearing saw more hostility to the State Lottery's foray into new platforms, including from Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen, who said it was "outrageous" that the lottery would try to sell Minnesotans lottery tickets at ATMs and do so without legislative approval.
Gov. Mark Dayton has promised another veto and said the legislation is the result of special interest lobbying from the lottery's competitors and would ultimately cripple the lottery's ability to raise funds from younger consumers.
The lottery has raised $2.4 billion for the state since approved as a constitutional amendment in 1988.
