Proposed Lottery Ticket Would Fund Snow Removal Budgets
WORCESTER, Mass. (CBS/AP) — A Massachusetts state lawmaker has come up with a way to help cities and towns boost their strained snow removal budgets.
With a winter storm bearing down on the state for the third consecutive weekend, Worcester Democrat John Bineinda has introduced legislation that would establish a $2 scratch-off lottery ticket the proceeds of which would go to a statewide snow removal fund.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Jeff Brown reports
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He suggests calling the ticket the "snow bank" lottery.
Cities and towns running snow removal deficits could request funds from the account, subject to review by the state comptroller.
Bineinda says the proceeds, which would be around $40-50 million, could help smaller towns that often have to cut into other areas of their budget during harsh winters when they blow through their snow removal budget.
This isn't the first time Bineinda has pitched the idea.
It got a lot of traction two years ago when we had a lot of snow. Last winter I filed it, and as you know, we didn't have any snow," Bineinda told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Jeff Brown.
The state legislature has yet to set a hearing on this year's proposal.
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