HARRISBURG, February 14, 2013 — State Sen. Judy Schwank today praised the Attorney General’s decision to stop the Corbett administration’s rush to sell off the state lottery without legislative oversight.
“Like many of us, the Attorney General saw the lottery plan as a broad overreach of the administration’s authority and her decision to reject the contract will allow more public scrutiny of plans to improve the lottery to raise more revenue for senior programs,” she said.
Kane’s decision was announced at a news conference in Harrisburg today after weeks of thorough review.
“There could be room for improvement and, in fact, lottery employees have offered a solid alternative to foreign-based lottery management,” Schwank said. “But it’s critical that any changes, especially those that might expand gambling or threaten the tax relief generated by casinos, should get a thorough and public vetting.”
Schwank said the administration’s rush to complete the deal with Camelot Global Services caused concern in the legislature where there is little support for allowing revenue intended for senior programs to be tapped for corporate profit.
“Any time you try to do a deal quickly and privately, it’s going to raise concern,” Schwank said. “I’m glad the Attorney General has put the brakes on this.”