Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor                   1661

Senate Bill No. 480—Bingo in Baltimore County

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 319B(a)
of Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1956 Supple-
ment), title "Crimes and Punishments", sub-title "Gaming" add-
ing political organizations to the organizations already allowed to
operate bingo for the benefit of charity in Baltimore County.

April 15, 1957.

The Honorable Louis L. Goldstein
President, The Senate of Maryland
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. President:

Senate Bill No. 480, enacted by the Maryland General Assembly
of 1957, would authorize the licensing of political organizations or
corporations in Baltimore County to operate games of bingo.

Presently, such licensing is authorized only for fraternal, religious,
patriotic, educational and charitable organizations or corporations,
volunteer fire companies and the Maryland State Fair and Agricul-
tural Society.

As a legal safeguard, the descriptive "bona fide" appears in the
law preceding the listing of the types of organizations which may
be licensed to conduct bingo games.

It is not, of course, a difficult matter for the licensing authorities
to distinguish between a bona fide fraternal organization and one
which might better be described as mala fide. Such bona fide fraternal
groups usually are well-established, well-known and often affiliated
with State-wide, national or international organizations.

Bona fide patriotic organizations likewise are easily identifiable by
their affiliations. A religious organization to whom a bingo license
might be granted would have its bona fide status from its affiliation
with or relation to a Church in the community. Educational organi-
zations conducting bingo games undoubtedly would be doing so to
help a school or accepted educational project. Bona fide charitable
organizations would, I assume, be those which regularly have sup-
ported charities of known benefit to the public or a substantial section
thereof.

It is difficult—indeed impossible—for me to classify the political
organizations with this group.

What is a bona fide political organization or corporation in Balti-
more County?

Certainly the Democratic State Central Committee for Baltimore
County and the Republican State Central Committee for Baltimore
County would qualify.

But those great official party governing bodies are charged with
the serious work of conducting political campaigns, arranging party
affairs between campaigns and assisting in promoting the success
of our great two-party system of government.

I cannot conceive of their becoming licensees for the operation of
bingo games.

If we eliminate them—as certainly we should—what have we left?

There are, to be sure, many political clubs.