Politics & Government

State Rep. Eileen Kowall Praises Legislation That Halts Bridge Card Abuse

"Bridge Cards should be used to help families get back on their feet, not pay for liquor or games of blackjack," said Kowall, R-White Lake.

State Rep. Eileen Kowall today applauded the House’s passage of a four-bill package designed to ensure those who receive cash assistance using their taxpayer-funded Bridge Cards will no longer be able to make cash withdrawals at casinos, liquor stores, horse tracks or strip clubs.

 “Bridge Cards should be used to help families get back on their feet, not pay for liquor or games of blackjack,” said Kowall, R-White Lake. “By limiting where Bridge Cards can be used, we are making sure our tax dollars are being used as they are intended.”

Kowall co-sponsored two of the bills in the legislative package, which requires liquor stores, horse racing tracks and adult entertainment venues to disable Bridge Card ATM cash withdrawals on their premises. House Bills 4858-59 and 5014-15 also require banks to institute protections at their ATMs in the same locations.

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The legislation specifically provides that cash assistance will still be permitted from an ATM at a grocery store.

“There are many families throughout Michigan who use their Bridge Cards exactly as they are intended, but in order for this program to be effective, we must weed out the ones who are not,” Kowall said. “Taxpayer resources should not be abused in this way.”

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