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Lottery Lawsuit

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Posted: 7:29 AM Sep 8, 2008
Last Updated: 7:29 AM Sep 8, 2008

16 comments

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North Carolina's highest court will decide whether the Legislature approved properly a bill that created the state's education lottery.

State Supreme Court justices scheduled oral arguments Monday in a lawsuit originally filed by taxpayers who sued state and elected officials.

The plaintiffs have argued that the procedures used by House and Senate leaders to approve the legislation in 2005 violated the state constitution.

State attorneys counter the lottery bill was passed properly. The state Court of Appeals ruled six months ago in favor of the state in a split decision.

The justices won't rule from the bench. It may be months before there is a decision.

If the taxpayers win the case, the Legislature may have to revote the lottery into law.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: HAHA Location: MI on Sep 10, 2008 at 12:17 AM
In ref to the lottery in nc I think it is humerous that no new schools are being built, as well as the fact the people that are out there trying to get student loans cannot get them - Keep putting your money in someone elses pocket -

Posted by: Kimbery Location: Smithfield on Sep 9, 2008 at 06:14 PM
To VBush...Thank you for explaining to the ECU parent other alternative/ways of paying for college. My daughter received a small portion from the NC lottery. However; we still had to pursue a student loan to help with her tuition.

Posted by: VBush Location: MHCY on Sep 9, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Wolfgang is obviously not a liberal. Well said! As far as the lottery goes....I told everyone I ever spoke to about this ahead of time...no one wanted to hear it. I said it would be a sham, and the school systems would NOT benefit in the ways that they claimed it would. That is the way the lottery has been "sold" to every state that has it. Everyone buys into the notion and then it never happens quite like it was "sold" to the people. As far as the people living on the border crossing over to buy a ticket? Who cares? ECU Parent, I am glad your child is going to college, but there are MANY ways to get help in that area. Your child would still have been able to go to college through grants, student loans, and other programs available to people that need help. I am not knocking you, I am simply explaining that it isn't because of the lottery that your child can go to college, it is simply the vehicle you chose to use.

Posted by: Blog Refuter Location: NC on Sep 8, 2008 at 08:37 PM
Very well true, Wolfgang.

Posted by: Kimberly Location: smithfield NC on Sep 8, 2008 at 07:24 PM
To Mom; you are one rude mom. This woman is proud to announce her daugther attending college and you are critizing her spelling and writing. Lady get a life...Misery loves company!

Posted by: Obama 08 4 Prez! on Sep 8, 2008 at 04:45 PM
WOLFGANG.....from God's mouth to your ear's. Wonderfully said. Nothing I need to add to your post.

Posted by: mom Location: pitt co on Sep 8, 2008 at 03:11 PM
To ECU Parent who can't spell or write. One thing is for sure, YOUR child needs to go to college and obviously you aren't smart enough to pay for it. Unless it counts when you're gambling on the ridiculous lottery. People aren't as intelligent and educated as they used to be. Coincidentally, those are the same people who want schools to raise and care for their children. The lottery is leading these people down the garden path to a very bad place.

Posted by: ECU Parent Location: Edenton,NC on Sep 8, 2008 at 02:32 PM
NC Educational Lottery Scholar helps my child to go to college.If it wasn't for this sad to say she would not be able to go college.Lottery helps in alot off way we don't see.

Posted by: Greg Location: Greenville on Sep 8, 2008 at 02:13 PM
To get real. you need to get over it. I know for a fact that the middle and lower class people do go across the border to buy lottery tickets when NC did not have a lottery. So why let other states take in money that should go to NC. As for your fees, they dont bother me because my family had to cut back many things for me to go to school. We had to do many fund raisers to keep the school going and for clubs to get new things. So for your of $50 i do not pitty you, when I had fees in the 100's of dollars about ten years ago. Why dont you ask your teachers who are making over $40K a year to help buy supplies for their students and to stop begging the state for a bigger pay raise. Everyone is all about the public school systems needing help, when the state should be helping all school system, such as public, private, and charter. By the way, teachers for the private and charter schools do not get paid no ways near what public school teachers get.

Posted by: Greg Location: Greenville on Sep 8, 2008 at 01:27 PM
Fed up a good percentage of the money goes to the fund to give teachers a bonus every year that do good on their of year testing. But this should be stopped because it is not fair to all other state employees. The teachers should be put in the same category as state employees. That way everyone is treated fairly because as a state employee I know for a fact that it has been a long time since we have recieved a raise and a bonus. I think the teachers have recieved enough, they only work 9-10 months a year. Plus the state is also funding the building of many new public schools as well as public university buildings to replace out dated technology. The last time I looked this is not cheap anymore.

Posted by: get real Location: everwhere on Sep 8, 2008 at 01:17 PM
to greg! you tell everyone to get over it ' well what if my child came to your house and asked you to buy a candy bar to help with the school beta club and it was only $2.00. Say you purchased it and then you found out that it never went to the school but in someones pocket. how would that make you feel if you were limited on funds but still wanted to help your local school. there were alot of people mislead that the funds were to help the schools (ALL) that was in NC. well guess what???? it doesn't. it may go for a new building or 2 but tell me why we get a list of about $50.00 or more and by mid term year we have to go out again because thier are no funds for the teachers to purchase the things they need to help teach our children. the same children that will one day take care of you and me but with what funds? if people want to drive to another state then let them but we really don't need something that is not really helping our schools in NC

Posted by: Fed Up Location: Stonewall on Sep 8, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Where does the money really go? Sure is not helping the schools!!! We have increased fee's and increased supplies to purchase, the teachers are still complaining about thier paychecks. Why isn't the schools improving?? Where oh Where is the money really going?

Posted by: WOLFGANG Location: CHOCOWINITY on Sep 8, 2008 at 11:17 AM
The lottery it prays on the Middle Class, and Poor people giving them false hope to get rich quick. I see Mothers,and Fathers with their kids in an old car going into stores and buying $50.00 or more in lottery tickets when they can not feed there familly. It is all an illusion people by telling you it is going to help schools? So now it is OK to waste your money. " You have to be in it to win it " You have a better chance of getting hit by lighting twice in the same day then winning the lottery , but it does pay Bureaucrats large salaries. If the State really wants to help it citizens. It should give us free classes on Investing ,and Retirement Plannning. We all work very,very hard for our money. Be careful where you spend it!

Posted by: Concerned Location: Greenville, N. C. on Sep 8, 2008 at 09:26 AM
Why are they still bringing charges against the lottery now? Is someone not getting paid the salary they were promised?

Posted by: Chowan Girl Location: Edenton on Sep 8, 2008 at 08:00 AM
I originally supported the lottery. I thought it would benefit education. I stopped purchasing tickets. I didn't mind losing every week, I saw it as a donation to education. The schools here is Chowan are getting very little in the way of lottery money and the money is earmarked for construction or preschool. I'm okay with construction. I do not support all day preschool! Bottom line my donation will go directly to the school not through the lottery!

Posted by: Greg Location: Greenville on Sep 8, 2008 at 07:40 AM
Why cant people just get over it. If we did not create our own lottery then all of the people who want to play would still go to Va, Tn, Ga, and SC. That would be a lot of money our state is losing to other states. Plus you are wasteing more of the taxpayers money by making the courts review the vote on the lottery over and over again. So just give it up and get over it. It is time that people wake up because the times are changing.

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