Legislature(2003 - 2004)
05/15/2003 07:53 AM Senate L&C
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HB 232-HOMER MERCURY CLASSIC/GAMING PRIZE LIMIT
CHAIR CON BUNDE called the meeting back to order at 1:40 p.m.
Present were SENATORS SEEKINS, STEVENS and BUNDE. He announced
HB 232 to be up for consideration.
REPRESENTATIVE PAUL SEATON, sponsor of HB 232, said the Homer
Mercury Classic is similar to the Nenana Ice Classic in which
ticket purchasers buy a chance to guess the time when the
mercury will go down to 15 degrees. A drawing for the prize is
held when the mercury goes up to 55 degrees in the spring. The
Boys and Girls Club, Homer Chapter, has a computerized weather
station on top of its building that monitors [the temperature]
every hour in conjunction with the NASA Globe Project, a project
that monitors global warming.
The only other mercury classic in the state was held in
Fairbanks in 1987-88. This classic will not conflict or preclude
anyone else from doing the same thing.
CHAIR BUNDE commented that it is interesting that some of the
same people who oppose other forms of gambling would think this
is a good idea and asked how much money is involved.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON replied that the tickets cost $2 a piece
and the total depends on how many tickets the children sell.
Fifty percent goes to the Boys and Girls Club.
MS. JANE TOLLEFSRUD, Coordinator of Projects, Homer Boys and
Girls Club, offered to answer questions and added that the Homer
Club in particular has 350 members and the Kenai Peninsula Boys
and Girls Club has a total of 3,000 members.
SENATOR SEEKINS said there could be a large number of winners.
MS. TOLLEFSRUD replied that they thought using the hour would be
okay and multiple winners could split the pot. If they need to
use minutes, the device could be recalibrated to read every
minute.
SENATOR SEEKINS asked if the Homer Boys and Girls Club have a
charitable gaming permit now.
MS. TOLLEFSRUD replied that the Kenai Peninsula Boys and Girls
Club has the gaming permit it is going to use.
SENATOR SEEKINS asked if gaming permits are normally limited to
a certain dollar amount on an annual basis.
CHAIR BUNDE responded that pulltab winnings are limited, but he
wasn't familiar with any limitation on the classics like the ice
pool.
SENATOR SEEKINS said he was trying to figure out if this will
expand the amount this charity would bring in in terms of
gambling revenue in a calendar year.
MS. TOLLEFSRUD said she didn't know the answer to that. She does
know that the only thing they use their permit for in Kenai is
the raffle and an auction that they have once per year.
CHAIR BUNDE said he thought the limit on the prizes is $1
million and it's not likely that they are approaching that
amount.
SENATOR SEEKINS said the only reason he questioned that is
because the number of groups that want to get into charitable
gaming, in addition to charities (like municipalities and
questionable non profits), is increasing.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said that his understanding is that the
Boys and Girls Club is not involved in pulltabs. The Classic
will be a twice-a-year lottery, a guessing game that will
involve the kids in monitoring.
CHAIR BUNDE asked Ms. Tollefsrud and Representative Seaton to
investigate if the Boys and Girls Club was using its permit for
pulltabs and whether, with the classic, they would be held under
a one-umbrella limit or whether this would expand their limit.
He closed public testimony and asked the will of the committee.
SENATOR STEVENS moved to pass HB 232 with zero fiscal note and
individual recommendations. There were no objections and it was
so ordered.
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