For Immediate Release Contact: Luke Byars

April 25, 2000 (803) 734-2080

(Columbia)—Today, Lieutenant Governor Bob Peeler was joined by Senator David Thomas, Senator Warren Giese, and Representatives Gary Simrill and Becky Meacham-Richardson to voice their concerns over the lack of details in Governor Hodges lottery proposal.

Mr. Kevin Geddings, Hodges spokesman on the lottery was quoted in The State newspaper this morning advocating a delay in passage of specific enabling legislation for a lottery in South Carolina. Geddings was quoted as saying, "It would be impossible to get a good, detailed lottery-mechanics law passed."

Lieutenant Governor Peeler said, "Apparently, Governor Hodges doesn’t want us to know what he wants to do with his lottery. There’s an old saying that if you can’t convince them, confuse them. And what we have seen today is that this Governor has given up trying to convince the voters on the merits of a specific lottery plan and now his campaign of confusion has begun."

Peeler added, "My daddy used to tell me to always read the fine print before you make a decision, but when it comes to this lottery plan there is no fine print. I’m not so sure that is a coincidence."

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