Many lottery winners in Michigan must share their identity. A new bill could change that
If you win big in the Michigan lottery, but don't want the fame to go along with your fortune, you may be out of luck, but a state representative wants to change that.
In Michigan, whether lottery winners can choose to remain anonymous or are required to go public with their identity depends on the type of lottery game they win, and the cash value of their winnings.
However, a current legislative proposal by State Rep. Pat Outman, R-Six Lakes, could allow all lottery winners in the state to remain anonymous if it becomes law.
Here's what to know.
Outman introduced a bill on Jan. 14 that would allow winners of more than $10,000 from the Michigan Lottery, and winners of games played under joint enterprises to keep their names, addresses and other personal information private.
"HB 4004 is about protecting people's right to privacy in an era where personal information is more accessible than ever. Eleven other states already allow lottery winners to remain anonymous, and it's time for Michigan to follow suit," Outman said in an emailed statement. "This isn't a partisan issue — every time it's been introduced, it's had broad bipartisan support. Ensuring the safety and privacy of our citizens should be a priority, and HB 4004 is a commonsense step in that direction."
Outman proposed the bill in past legislative sessions and it was approved by the Michigan House of Representatives. However, the bill never made it to a vote in the Michigan Senate.
"When Michigan introduced the lottery in the 1970s, the world was a much different place — there was no internet, no social media, and far fewer concerns about privacy and personal safety," Outman said. "Today, a lottery winner's name becoming public can lead to real dangers, including scams, harassment, and even violence. Tragically, there have been cases in other states where lottery winners were targeted and harmed simply because their identity was made public."
Similar bills were introduced in 2021 and 2024.
The Michigan Lottery is studying the bill, but has not yet taken a formal position on the proposal, Michigan Lottery spokesperson Jake Harris said.
Michigan in-state lottery winners of cash prizes of $10,000 or below must disclose their identity publicly, Michigan Lottery Numbers said.
Winners of multi-state lotteries are subject to the rules of the games under Michigan law, according to the Michigan Lottery.
More: How can you contact your elected officials in Michigan? Here's what to know
If you win a Michigan state lottery game with a cash prize of more than $10,000, you may remain anonymous unless you waive the right, according to the Michigan Lottery.
There are 17 states where winners do not have to reveal their identities.
: prize must be over $100,000
: any prize
: prize must be over $250,000
Illinois: prize must be over $250,000
: any prize
: any prize
: prize must be over $10,000
: any prize
: any prize
: any prize
: any prize
: any prize
: any prize
: prize must be over $1 million
: prize must be greater than $10 million
: prize must be over $1 million
: any prize
While many multi-state lottery games publicly disclose the identity of winners, there is a way around that. By playing as a group, most individuals may be able to stay anonymous, but one member of the group must claim the prize publicly.
In 2024, a Michigan trio won an $842.4 million Powerball jackpot, the group remained anonymous as their attorney accepted the prize.
More: Stuck in the winter doldrums? See what there is to do in February in Michigan
The Michigan Lottery offers a variety of options for gambling, including scratch-off tickets. Other major in-state games include:
Lotto 47
Lucky for Life
Fantasy 5
Club Keno
USA Today contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan House bill seeks to provide anonymity to lottery winners
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Major shift': State House passes K-12 school budget
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The Michigan House of Representatives approved the GOP's $21.9 million for K-12 schools in the state Wednesday. The plan proposes $10,025 in foundation funding per student, and an additional estimated $1,975 in separate funds per student if school districts adhere to certain requirements. These requirements include having one school resource officer and one mental health support staff member on staff and submitting an annual report detailing the use of the funds. Lawmakers behind the proposal say this would be an increase of $2,392 per student. 'This budget represents a major shift in how we approach education in Michigan,' said State Rep. Ann Bollin, chair of the House Appropriations Committee (R-Brighton Township). 'We're building a stronger model by putting trust where it belongs — in the hands of local school boards, parents, and educators who know their communities best. Every district is different, and the people closest to the students should be the ones making the decisions.' Lawmakers say the plan would also ban funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and prevent biological males from competing in female sports divisions, as well as stop schools from using 'curriculums that promote race or gender stereotyping.' Representatives behind the appropriations say these funds would be used to help schools reduce class sizes, improve reading scores, and better school infrastructure, and that the plan gives schools flexibility to spend the money as they please. 'We're done with top-down mandates that ignore the real challenges our schools face,' Bollin said. 'This plan meets schools where they are and gives them the flexibility they need to lift kids up and help them succeed.' However, those opposed to the appropriations say the budget cuts important programs for students, such as school breakfast and lunch, which could have negative impacts on families. 'House Republicans' education budget could raise costs for working families by nearly $900 a year, force students to go hungry, and take money away from teachers trying to help students learn — while doing absolutely nothing to improve reading, math, or science scores,' said Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. Michigan State Superintendent Michael F. Rice says the appropriations 'fall short' in supporting the schools, calling it a 'duct-taped budget' and saying the lack of specified appropriations would be detrimental toward certain efforts to improve the state's school system. 'While I support increasing per-pupil funding and reducing to a significant degree the number of categorical grants to give school districts more flexibility in how to spend state dollars, this budget unnecessarily puts at risk statewide education priorities,' said Rice. 'The budget lumps funds into large block grants that would diminish the statewide efforts to support, protect, and help educate children and at the same time address the state's shortage of certified and highly trained teachers.' The plan advanced with support from Republicans and opposition from Democrats. It now heads to the Democrat-controlled Senate, which previously passed its . The two chambers need to agree on a budget by July 1. 6 News will keep you updated with the latest. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Friends, family could perform weddings without getting ordained under Michigan bill
Michigan couples planning their weddings could have a family member or friend officiate a ceremony without needing any kind of religious authorization under legislation that recently passed the Michigan Senate. The proposal would also expand the list of elected officials who can perform marriages in the state. The bills in the package passed the Michigan Senate June 10, with support of every Democratic lawmaker in the chamber and three Republicans: state Sens. Jon Bumstead of North Muskegon and Michael Webber of Rochester Hills, along with Senate Minority Leader and GOP gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt of Porter Township. Under current state law, marriages in Michigan can be solemnized by judges, mayors, county clerks and religious practitioners. Because Wayne County is so large, the law allows employees of the clerk's office to also perform marriages. Township supervisors, state lawmakers and civil celebrants would be added to the list statewide under the bill approved by the Michigan Senate. The legislation defines a civil celebrant as someone who is at least 18 years old and "works in accordance with the wishes of the client couple." Sixty-one percent of Michigan adults identify as Christians, 6% identify with other religions and 31% of Michigan adults are religiously unaffiliated, according to the Pew Research Center's 2023-24 U.S. Religious Landscape Study Interactive Database. By enabling judges and some local officials to solemnize marriages, current state law allows for non-religious marriage ceremonies in Michigan. "But a lot of people don't want somebody they don't know conducting the most important ceremony in their life," said bill sponsor state Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, D-Eastpointe, in a June 3 hearing on her legislation. As a workaround, an officiant chosen by a couple will go online and pay a fee to obtain a certificate as an ordained minister. This new legislation would allow a couple's chosen officiant to skip that step. State Sen. Kevin Daley, R-Lum, who opposed the legislation, characterized it as a blow to marriage. "Allowing just anybody to officiate a wedding will further weaken what should be a very serious undertaking," he said. "I'd be glad to support legislation to require real training to become a wedding officiant, thus adding an extra layer of dignity and importance to the proceedings." A separate bill voted on by the Michigan Senate would increase the fine for violating the state's marriage license law from $100 to $500. Michigan's marriage rate has steadily declined since 1970, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. It reached a low in 2020 of 8.4 individuals married per 1,000 residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, but marriage rates have not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. In order for the legislation to land on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk, the GOP-controlled Michigan House would have to approve the bills passed by the state Senate. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@ or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan bill to expand who can perform weddings passes Senate
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Michigan transmission line project sparks fears of land seizures via eminent domain
ITC's Oneida Substation in Eaton County's Oneida Township, the starting point for a proposed transmission line. June 7, 2025 | Photo by Jon King Two electric transmission line projects pending state approval have some Michigan residents worried that their properties could be seized via eminent domain, but they might be getting some help from the Republican-controlled Michigan House of Representatives in fighting back. The projects proposed by ITC Holding Corp., doing business as the Michigan Electric Transmission Company, plan to build two approximately 50 mile spans of high-voltage electric transmission lines, one from the Indiana border starting in Branch County to a substation in Calhoun County, and the other stretching from Eaton County to Gratiot County. The projects were proposed in 2022 and are slated to cost nearly $850 million. They have been hailed by supporters as some of the first transmission line projects approved by MISO, a midwestern power grid operator, which could help bolster Michigan's electric grid. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX But the situation has some residents grappling with the possibility of an electricity rate increase that could affect all Michiganders, as well as concerns that their land might be seized in the process. One of those residents is Marcia Klein, who began organizing members in her community to fight against the project with the hope of getting more information on the company and possibly having the lines placed underground so that whole swaths of land remain in the hands of property owners. In an interview with Michigan Advance, Klein said she was concerned that ITC did not include a cost-benefit analysis in its applications and that the commission also noted that issue as one of their concerns. Klein also said that the company appears to be dismissive of calls to use existing utility or state land easements. She said she questioned the company's preferred approach to build on what is known as virgin land, untouched by other industries, and why the company hasn't sought to route its lines through state land, which would require permitting and approval from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Klein further questioned the logic of new siting laws for large scale energy projects that took local control away from cities and townships and placed those decisions in the hands of the Michigan Public Service Commission. 'I'm not against progress, or electricity, the grids, the expansion,' Klein said. 'It's just the wrong place.' She told the Advance that she felt that there weren't enough chances for public input and that any influence over a decision is well out of their reach. Klein also said that unlike the Gotion battery plant issue last year, too few local residents or Michigan citizens statewide knew about their struggle to circumvent the project's approval. In the case of the Gotion plant, the project has been put on hold, due in part to the large movement and political awareness that was organized against it. 'They're just ramrodding this through,' Klein said of the transmission line project. 'There weren't enough public hearings, I didn't get my notice [of those hearings] other than a bulk mail letter last August. … It wasn't in the newspapers or on the air.' Still, Klein was undeterred, and began organizing to make sure residents were informed about the issue, even as she was due for a hip surgery last year. Some of those residents have legal representation in case they have to go to court, many of them with bicentennial farm land that is in trust and at risk of potentially being seized as a part of the project. Klein said her land is also in trust, but she doesn't have the means to afford legal representation at this time. Applications and ongoing proceedings were consolidated by the Michigan Public Service Commission last year. The commission most recently collected feedback on the projects at its May 15 meeting. Commissioners will meet next in mid June but it is unclear if the ITC projects will be up for discussion. The matter was also before an administrative law judge and oral arguments were held in March. However, the administrative law judge in the case will not be issuing a recommendation, known as a proposal for decision. Those decisions typically involve an administrative law judge analyzing the evidentiary record and issuing findings for the commission to consider. A spokesperson for the commission told Michigan Advance that, instead, the commission, which is currently reviewing the matter, will read the entire case record and base its ultimate decision on the overall evidentiary record. A decision to move the projects forward is expected to be reached this summer. Commission approval is not the final battleground for residents opposed to the project, but state law makes it hard for residents to challenge those determinations or any eminent domain decisions in court. Public Service Commission determinations are binding on state courts when deciding whether a property acquisition for a utility – much like electric transmission lines – is a public necessity, and courts typically defer to the commission's determination. The state's eminent domain power also authorizes property condemnation as a pathway for a utility to acquire the rights to private land. Klein told the Advance that it was her understanding that ITC would be seeking to carve out easements along the routes if the applications are approved. She said the company has not proposed to use existing utility company, state land or railroad easements, which she called 'a disgrace.' Among those opposed to the Eaton to Gratiot line project is Scenic America, one the nation's only nonprofit organizations dedicated to preserving and protecting America's scenic beauty. In a letter dated May 13, Scenic America President Mark Falzone called for the transmission lines to be buried underground as opposed to strung up along Michigan's skyline. 'This project's reliance on overhead lines threatens the scenic character of some of Michigan's most ecologically sensitive areas and agriculturally important communities,' Falzone wrote. 'Despite the common belief that transmission lines are too expensive to [place] underground, undergrounding transmission lines can prove to be a cost-effective method for electrical infrastructure.' Klein believed the lines should at the very least be installed underground given Michigan's recent struggle with ice storms, tornadoes and other extreme weather events that have knocked out power lines for days or weeks at a time. A request for comment from ITC on resident concerns and the project at large was not returned at the time of publication. As residents like Klein await the Michigan Public Service Commission's decision on moving the projects forward, they may be getting some assistance from the Michigan House of Representatives. A Republican-sponsored bill introduced last week aims to guarantee property owners a fair opportunity to challenge eminent domain for transmission lines, much like the planned projects from ITC Holdings Corp. House Bill 4526, sponsored by freshman Rep. Jennifer Wortz (R-Quincy), was drafted and introduced after hearing from residents in Branch County and their opposition to the line running through their land. 'State government must always protect the people's fundamental rights – including property rights,' Wortz said in a statement. 'Farmers don't want the line to interfere with their irrigation systems. Homeowners don't want the line too close to their houses or ponds, and they don't want to see their trees chopped down to make way for the line.' Wortz's bill would eliminate the deference courts place on binding commission decisions. More specifically, the bill would instead require a transmission company to present clear and convincing evidence to a court that the proposed route of a new line was the most reasonable. Judges would have to instead prioritize routes within or adjacent to public land, routes within or adjacent to existing right-of-ways and easements, or routes adjacent to existing property boundaries. Wortz said that approach could help limit interference with private property as much as possible. If the commission approves the project, Wortz says area residents at least deserve their day in court. 'I'm standing up for Branch County families,' Wortz said. 'My new plan will level the playing field for property owners challenging a takeover of their land.' House Bill 4526 was introduced to the House Energy Committee last month but has yet to have a hearing. Klein, in response to the legislation, told the Advance that she appreciated Wortz's attempts to assist them and others who might be facing friction with utility companies looking to build large-scale projects in the future. Klein, however, feared that the slow pace of the Legislature would render Wortz's bill inapplicable to the ITC project without giving the bill some sort of retroactive effect.
