Borhauer proud of charitable-bingo amendment
Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2007
BELLA VISTA — Helping make it possible for nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations in Arkansas to legally sponsor bingo games for charity is a part of her legislative legacy — a part she’s glad to embrace, former state Rep. Shirley Borhauer said Friday.
A state constitutional amendment allows some groups to play bingo and have raffles for charity. Legislation implementing the amendment became effective in Arkansas on July 31.
Citing the anti-lottery provision of Section 14 of Article 19 of the constitution, the state Supreme Court had previously ruled playing bingo for prizes was illegal gambling.
Borhauer, a Bella Vista Republican, was one of 10 sponsors of House Joint Resolution 1003 of 2005, which proposed to amend the state constitution to allow charitable organizations to conduct bingo games and raffles. Sen. Shane Broadway, D-Bryant, sponsored a similar resolution in the state Senate.
Now state constitutional amendment 84, the amendment was adopted last year. It had the approval of nearly seven out of 10 Arkansas voters.
The amendment allows bingo and raffles to be sponsored by nonprofit religious, veterans, educational, service, fraternal, medical, civic, volunteer rescue, volunteer fire and volunteer police organizations.
To conduct bingo games and raffles under the amendment, the organizations must have been in existence five years or more, and must use net receipts for philanthropic, religious or charitable purposes only.
She’s glad the proposal won voter approval and will allow people to raise money for charities, Borhauer said.
In 2005, she was surprised to find as much support for the proposed amendment as there turned out to be, Borhauer recalled. “ A lot of people all around the state had been urging me to do this. I thought, I have no more chance of getting this amendment than the man in the moon. I’m telling you: It was a shock for me. And I’m so happy, ” Borhauer said. “ The fact that it can be done is good. ”
In 2007, during the first regular legislative session since Borhauer proposed the amendment, state lawmakers passed legislation, Act 338 of 2007, and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration set up rules for the games.
Borhauer served three terms in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2001 to 2007. Two highlights of her years in the House are the amendment and a law she sponsored that paved the way for an election that made Bella Vista an incorporated city, Borhauer said Friday.
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