Michigan Senate bill lets lottery winners remain anonymous

Sep 14, 2012, 8:45 am (18 comments)

Michigan Lottery

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan winners of multistate lotteries — such as the Lapeer man who won a $337 million Powerball jackpot — could choose to remain anonymous, under a bill that passed a state Senate committee Thursday.

Sen. Tory Rocca, R-Sterling Heights, said publicity surrounding such windfalls makes winners too vulnerable to scam artists and violent criminals, not to mention grasping third cousins.

"The reasons range from the mundane to the fatal," Rocca said. Not only are there "relatives popping out of the woodwork," but "there are cases throughout the country of people being shot and actually killed."

The Senate Regulatory Reform Committee that Rocca chairs passed his bill Thursday in a 6-0 vote with bipartisan support. The bill now moves to the full Senate.

But the change faces opposition from the Michigan Lottery Bureau. It says taking away the publicity generated by winners such as Donald Lawson, 44, who in August opted for a lump-sum $224.6 million payout, would depress ticket sales.

Patrick Clawson of Flint, a legal investigator who advocates for open government, told the committee that Rocca's proposed law would violate a requirement of the state constitution that all state financial records be open to public inspection.

"What we're talking about is public money," Clawson said.

"If they want to keep their names (from being) disclosed, let them play the Mafia numbers racket."

Rocca rejected the constitutional argument and said winners of lotteries confined to the state of Michigan, as opposed to multistate lotteries such as Powerball, already have the option of keeping their names secret.

Rocca noted that a $30 million lottery winning was cited as the motive in the 2010 murder of a Plant City, Fla., man found buried under a concrete slab.

Detroit Free Press

Comments

mcginnin56

Hurray!  Just 49 states to go.  (except for the few that allow it already).

RedStang's avatarRedStang

Who will win. The Cat or the Mouse.

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by RedStang on Sep 14, 2012

Who will win. The Cat or the Mouse.

Neither, the Turkey.   Turkey

sully16's avatarsully16

Good Job.

THRIFTY's avatarTHRIFTY

Lottery players should remain anonymous in every state.

jamella724

Every person has the right to privacy and so with lottery too.  The money might be a public money, but their security and safety should not be in danger here.

Littleoldlady's avatarLittleoldlady

That line about undermining the public trust is so much garbage. When people started winning millions..the criminal element stood up and took notice. It is about time this came to the forefront.The only reason to know a lottery winner's name is to see if they owe the state money or are on the state rolls for food stamps, public housing, etc...other than that, there are NO other reasons.

If they really wanted to do a good job, they would make it a felony to divulge the winner's name.  You know how people work in those places and can be swayed to give out private information for a few dollars on the side.  That is how that lady got information about Shakespear in Florida..

NoShame's avatarNoShame

Too bad this passed too late for that Lapeer guy that already came out.

I never got how exactly keeping winners' names private would harm sales.  I buy tickets regardless of who's winning because I know it's all completely random and that I am desperate enough to play.  The Lottery cares very little about its winners once they take your name and post it everywhere.  Personally if it were up to me not only should the lottery help protect your privacy, they should also help arrange for a financial advisor if you desire one.

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by NoShame on Sep 14, 2012

Too bad this passed too late for that Lapeer guy that already came out.

I never got how exactly keeping winners' names private would harm sales.  I buy tickets regardless of who's winning because I know it's all completely random and that I am desperate enough to play.  The Lottery cares very little about its winners once they take your name and post it everywhere.  Personally if it were up to me not only should the lottery help protect your privacy, they should also help arrange for a financial advisor if you desire one.

Twitch better late then not at all

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

I support this move totally. By now everybody knows that lotteries are real and ordinary people do hit the jackpot.

Piaceri

They don't have to have a name and hometown to have publicity. A winner can even agree to do a presser if no pictures or names are allowed. Texas has limited publicity, which I believe allows blind trusts to claim.

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Thumbs Up To my home state

Seattlejohn

Way to go, Michigan!  That's definitely a step in the right direction; hopefully, the rest of the states will get a clue & follow suit.  Given that they've referenced Abraham Shakespeare's death in Florida as one of the reasons for this bill, they should call it "Shakespeare's Law".

DC81's avatarDC81

About <snip> time!

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