TOPEKA – Lottery legislation that was expected to face a harder time in the Senate than in the House, cleared the Senate last week on a 21-16 vote.
For some legislators, the sticking point was additional language allowing instant bingo game tickets to be purchased from vending machines in places that have bingo games. That particular provision did not go through a committee hearing.
“It’s not new subject matter,” defended Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, to a Senate Republican caucus. The American Legion and VFW wanted the machines, she said.
The Kansas Lottery has approached the Legislature for the last four years, asking for restrictions to be loosened to increase sales, Wagle said. “We gave in a little bit every year,” she said, but always killed the request to sell scratch tickets through vending machines. This legislation allows vending machines for lottery tickets, such as the machines found in Missouri and other states.
Other legislators considered enforcement too lax. No one under 18 can purchase a lottery ticket, but allowing purchases from vending machines instead of over-the-counter transactions will make it more difficult to enforce, some thought.
Sen. Ed Berger, R-Hutchinson, asked about the overall impact on the budget, because the bill also creates the community crisis stabilization centers fund and the clubhouse model program fund. The plan is to transfer some proceeds from the vending machine sales for mental health care.
The conference committee report for House Bill 2313 also removes the sunset date on the Kansas Lottery.
Legislators from the region voting for the overall legislation on Thursday were: Sens. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland; John Doll, R-Garden City; and Bud Estes, R-Dodge City. Voting no: Sens. Berger; Larry Alley, R-Winfield; Randall Hardy, R-Salina; and Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick.