North Carolina Lottery: N.C. Lottery opponents put pressure on lawmakersAs the battle over a lottery in North Carolina continues, opponents are stepping up the pressure on lawmakers.
After a close vote in the state House the opposition now has its sights set on the Senate.
Anti-lottery groups hope the pressure on lawmakers will pay off.
The lottery is like no issue I've ever experienced in the General Assembly, John Rustin of the N.C. Family Policy Council explained. The coalition assembled to fight the lottery from conservative groups to fairly liberal organizations.
And while lottery opponents are putting the pressure on, lawmakers are feeling it.
Just days after the state House barely passed its lottery bill some senators told News 14 Carolina they received more than 100 emails.
A citizens group against the lottery has helped North Carolinians bombard lawmakers with emails.
Rustin takes a different approach.
Well, we just sit down and talk with them, Rustin said. We have been researching the lottery over a decade and are constantly going to members of the House and Senate and sharing the information.
As the battle over a lottery in N.C. continues, opponents are stepping up the pressure on lawmakers.
And recently a group of pastors took that same approach, rallying at the Capitol and talking directly with senators.
They said they'll continue to pressure senators until the final vote is tallied.
We know this is a hard issue for everyone, but we're looking at it for the wellbeing of our people, Pastor Greg Barefoot explained. They're looking for hope and it's an empty hope. You're looking at one in 14-million chances of winning.
And the anti-lottery groups hope this pressure results in a victory for them when the senate votes.
The Senate Lottery Committee will likely meet for the first time this week.
Senate GOP leaders said all 21 Republican senators will vote against the lottery.
That means at least one Democrat against the lottery needs to switch sides for the bill to pass.
