H 4390 Joint Resolution, By Cave and W.D. Keyserling
 A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to Section 7 of Article XVII of the
 Constitution of South Carolina, 1895, relating to lotteries, so as to
 authorize lotteries to be conducted by the state, to allow any county, by
 referendum to elect not to participate in the state-run lottery, to provide
 that lottery proceeds must be used for educational purposes and the General
 Assembly by law shall provide for the manner in which the lottery proceeds,
 less appropriate expenses not to exceed fifteen percent of lottery revenues,
 shall be expended, and to provide that the General Assembly shall have the
 authority to prohibit lottery revenues from being expended for the benefit of
 a county or its residents that do not participate in the lottery.

   12/20/95  House  Prefiled
   12/20/95  House  Referred to Committee on Ways and Means
   01/09/96  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-74
   01/09/96  House  Referred to Committee on Ways and Means HJ-75

A JOINT RESOLUTION

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 7 OF ARTICLE XVII OF THE CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1895, RELATING TO LOTTERIES, SO AS TO AUTHORIZE LOTTERIES TO BE CONDUCTED BY THE STATE, TO ALLOW ANY COUNTY, BY REFERENDUM TO ELECT NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE-RUN LOTTERY, TO PROVIDE THAT LOTTERY PROCEEDS MUST BE USED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY LAW SHALL PROVIDE FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH THE LOTTERY PROCEEDS, LESS APPROPRIATE EXPENSES NOT TO EXCEED FIFTEEN PERCENT OF LOTTERY REVENUES, SHALL BE EXPENDED, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PROHIBIT LOTTERY REVENUES FROM BEING EXPENDED FOR THE BENEFIT OF A COUNTY OR ITS RESIDENTS THAT DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE LOTTERY.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. It is proposed that Section 7 of Article XVII of the Constitution of this State be amended to read:

"Section 7. No lottery shall ever be allowed or be advertised by newspapers, or otherwise, or its tickets be sold in this State.

(A) The State may operate or cause to be operated lotteries in the manner the General Assembly shall provide by law.

(B) Any county of this State may elect not to participate in the state-run lottery if a majority of the qualified electors thereof vote against such participation in a referendum called for this purpose by the county governing body. The referendum must be held at the same time as a general election. Referendums to determine the question of a county's participation in the state-run lottery may only be conducted once in any four-year period. If a county votes not to participate in the state-run lottery, no lottery tickets may be sold in that county.

(C) Lottery proceeds must be used for educational purposes and the General Assembly by law shall provide for the manner in which the lottery proceeds, less appropriate expenses not to exceed fifteen percent of lottery revenues, shall be expended. The General Assembly shall have authority to prohibit lottery revenues from being expended for the benefit of a county or its residents that do not participate in the lottery.

(D) The game of bingo, when conducted by charitable, religious, or fraternal organizations exempt from federal income taxation or when conducted at recognized annual State state and county fairs, shall is not be deemed considered a lottery prohibited by this section."

SECTION 2. The proposed amendment must be submitted to the qualified electors at the next general election for representatives. Ballots must be provided at the various voting precincts with the following words printed or written on the ballots:

"Shall Section 7 of Article XVII of the Constitution of this State be amended so as to authorize the State to operate lotteries or cause lotteries to be operated, to allow any county, by referendum to elect not to participate in the state-run lottery, to provide that lottery proceeds must be used for educational purposes and the General Assembly by law shall provide for the manner in which the lottery proceeds, less appropriate expenses not to exceed fifteen percent of lottery revenues, shall be expended, and to provide that the General Assembly shall have the authority to prohibit lottery revenues from being expended for the benefit of a county or its residents that do not participate in the lottery?

Those voting in favor of the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word `Yes', and those voting against the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word `No'."