By: Michael Achterling (North Dakota Monitor)
The North Dakota House voted overwhelmingly against a bill that would have changed which organizations could conduct charitable gambling.
The bill failed in the House on a 87-4 vote.
Senate Bill 2035 would have changed the definition of public spirited organizations and removed adult amateur athletic and tourism organizations from being able to conduct gambling. Those organizations would have still been able to be the recipients of donated gaming proceeds.
The bill would have also excluded clubs and organizations that contribute directly to its officers or members as a primary beneficiary.
An amended version of the bill would have allowed organizations that support a designated convention center or visitors bureau to continue to operate charitable gambling sites.
The House Education Committee voted unanimously, 13-0, for a do not pass recommendation.
“The committee urges you to vote no based on the lack of cooperation between all the parties involved in coming to some kind of agreement on this issue,” said Rep. Matt Heilman, R-Bismarck, on the House floor.
He said the last question the committee asked the Attorney General’s Office, the office that oversees charitable gambling, was whether the office coordinated on the proposed changes in the bill with the charitable gambling industry and the answer was: No.
“The charitable gaming industry is a massive industry in our state and a key component to many smaller communities,” Heilman said. “Potentially changing the definition in this bill, without all the stakeholders giving their input, would be unfair to the charitable gaming industry.”
He added another reason the committee voted against the bill was the lack of a grandfather clause that would have exempted current charitable gambling organizations.
The bill had passed the Senate in January on a 27-20 vote.
