Florida appeals lottery case loss
The governor of Florida decided to appeal a ruling regarding the authority of the lottery officials in the state.
US.- Florida Governor Rick Scott decided to move forward with his decision to appeal a ruling that established that lottery officials in the state didn’t have the legal authority to approve a 15-year contract.
House Speaker Richard Corcoran is also involved in the measure: he sued the state’s lottery secretary last month, under the claims that the contract that the lottery signed with IGT to operate the games is illegal because it surpasses the authorised budget in Florida. The lawsuit over the US$700 million contract approved by the state lottery triggered a dispute in court earlier this month between the House Speaker and attorneys for the Florida Lottery that lasted for several hours.
Whilst the Circuit Judge Karen Gievers didn’t take sides during the controversy, she declared and set that the contract with IGT was unenforceable and void, therefore the agency would be forced to rewrite a new contract to provide the lottery a selection of services. Rick Scott expressed his discontent with the ruling and reassured that he would be fighting back the measure.
Attorneys that represent the lottery claimed that the agency followed the current law because the contract establishes that the contract signed is subject to state funding. Authorities are set to review the appealing and they will announce the decision in the upcoming weeks.
A House panel also voted yesterday for a bill that would force all lottery tickets to include the label “Warning: Gambling can be addictive.” The sponsor of the bill Rep Jennifer Sullivan, R-Mount Dora, said that the activity is government-sanctioned and that it should come with the same warning that people can find on cigarettes. The bill is headed to the Florida Senate.
