Can't legislate morals?
"We can't sit up here and legislate morals" - state Rep. Mickey Michaux, D-Durham.
Really?
Letting North Carolinians make their own "moral" decisions may sound like a fine ideal to Michaux and other legislators who voted for the lottery bill Wednesday, but it contradicts longstanding public policy.
Or why else does the state ban other forms of gambling? What about drugs and prostitution? How about ethics regulations for public officials and members of various professions?
You could answer there are good practical reasons for such laws and morality has little to do with them. I'd argue that societal values - which some might define as morality - form the basis for many of our laws. We once took some pride in our "North Carolina values." But never mind. Throw morality out of the lottery debate. Instead, ask whether gambling is a fair way to raise revenue for public purposes, consistent with North Carolina's overall philosophy of taxation. Will the lottery prove, on balance, to be more of a benefit to our population than a detriment?
I applaud Guilford County representatives John Blust, Pricey Harrison and Laura Wiley for examining that fundamental question and voting no.
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