Proposition 17 | Vote 2000 Home | Next - Prop 18 | Secretary of State Home |
Lotteries. Charitable Raffles.
Legislative Constitutional Amendment.
Argument in Favor of Proposition 17
 

Arguments on this page are the opinions of the authors and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency.

Most Californians are familiar with raffles. Our children sell tickets to raise money for sports leagues, historical societies raffle items to preserve historically significant sites, churches raffle prizes to support their congregations, parent groups hold raffles to support their children's schools. Many of these harmless activities violate the California Penal Code and State Constitution prohibition on raffles. In fact, any person or organization that conducts a traditional raffle commits a misdemeanor crime, punishable by up to six months in jail. Only the State of California raffle, which is better known as the State Lottery, is exempt from the ban.

When local police or prosecutors have knowledge of a charitable raffle, they are placed in the position of either shutting down a legitimate, albeit illegal fundraiser, or "looking the other way" and not enforcing the criminal law. This is an unworkable and unfair situation, which hurts legitimate charities and invites law enforcement to play favorites. Both of these concerns will be corrected by Proposition 17.

If a majority of the voters approve Proposition 17, the ban on raffles by charitable nonprofit organizations will be removed from the State Constitution. Once that happens, the State Legislature will be able to change the Penal Code so that charitable nonprofit organizations will be able to legally conduct a fundraising raffle. The legislation to remove the charitable raffle ban from the Penal Code and regulate their conduct (Senate Bill 639) has been introduced and is being held in the State Legislature pending this vote by the People.

Only charitable non-profits will be able to use raffles as a legal fundraiser if Proposition 17 passes. The types of charities that will benefit from this proposition include those that raise money for scholarships, medicine and health, parks and wildlife preserves, libraries, food banks, religious organizations, and art. No commercial raffling would be allowed.

Major non-profit organizations in California, as well as law enforcement leaders and organizations back Proposition 17. Some of those groups include the California Association of Nonprofits, the California Broadcasters Association, the California District Attorneys Association, California Literacy, the California State Sheriffs Association, the John XXIII AIDS Ministry, and the State Humane Association of California.

The time has come to legalize well-meaning charitable raffles for California non-profit organizations. Vote "yes" on Proposition 17.

BRUCE McPHERSON
State Senator, 15th District

DEAN D. FLIPPO
District Attorney, County of Monterey

FLORENCE L. GREEN
Executive Director, California Association of Nonprofits
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