Governor Abbott Vetoes House Bill 1628 (84R)
Pursuant to Article IV, Section 14, of the Texas Constitution, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, do hereby disapprove of and veto House Bill No. 1628 as passed by the Eighty-Fourth Texas Legislature, Regular Session, because of the following objections:
The Texas Constitution authorizes raffles to be conducted only for charitable purposes. When non-charitable businesses conduct drawings, they typically allow entry with "no purchase necessary," which generally exempts the drawing from the constitutional restrictions on raffles or lotteries. House Bill 1628 authorizes banks and credit unions to conduct raffles in which raffle tickets are offered only in exchange for opening a savings account. Opening an account and paying any customary fees associated with the account amounts to consideration paid for the raffle ticket and places such a raffle squarely within the gambling prohibitions of the Texas Constitution and Penal Code. The bill would therefore require a conforming constitutional amendment in order to be effective. No such constitutional amendment was proposed by the Legislature.
Since the Eighty-Fourth Texas Legislature, Regular Session, by its adjournment has prevented the return of this bill, I am filing these objections in the office of the Secretary of State and giving notice thereof by this public proclamation according to the aforementioned constitutional provision.
GREG ABBOTT
Governor
View a PDF of the veto here