State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, says he is “disappointed” at the governor’s veto of legislation he co-sponsored that would have allowed charities to accept credit and debit card payments for raffles.

Senator Griffo claims that many local charitable organizations and non-profit groups may not be able to continue these raffle fundraisers as a major source of revenue.

He says he is urging “any affected organizations to contact the governor’s office to voice their dismay and disappointment.”

After the Charitable Gaming Act of 2016 passed the Senate and Assembly earlier this year, Griffo says he wrote Gov. Andrew Cuomo urging him to sign this “important” legislation. But late Monday, the governor vetoed it, which Griffo says “[denies] non-profits and charitable organizations the opportunity to more conveniently raise more funds to help children, the elderly, the disabled and other citizens in need.”

In addition to using credit or debit cards for payment, this legislation would also have allowed charitable organizations to conduct their raffle ticket sales over the internet, instead of accepting only cash payments.

Senator Griffo said he co-sponsored this legislation “because of its importance to several not-for-profit agencies in their districts, which have faced serious restrictions on the major fundraising events that provide substantial revenue for their programs. Some of the agencies that would have benefited from these new payment options include the Children’s Miracle Network, Sitrin Health Care and Hospice.”

“This legislation had the potential to help so many people in need all across the state, yet the governor’s rejection of the Charitable Gaming Act will further undermine the important fundraising efforts of so many local charities and organizations,” Griffo said in a news release. “The burdensome restrictions that remain in place concerning how charity raffle tickets can be purchased will continue to make it harder for these organizations to fund important programs, and I am disappointed by the governor’s veto.”

According to the Governor’s veto message, the bill was rejected because it would violate the New York State Constitution, which states that charitable gaming may be offered only where a municipality has voted to authorize it. By allowing broad raffle sales over the internet, the governor stated, these fundraisers would essentially become statewide gaming occasions, not local ones.

The governor also stated that he recognizes “the need to modernize charitable gaming laws,” and is directing the New York State Gaming Commission to work with the bill’s sponsors and interested stakeholders to recommend the appropriate changes to achieve this goal.

While Senator Griffo said he is willing to explore whatever changes must be made in order to get this legislation approved, both noted that no legal issues were previously raised concerning the legislation when it was reviewed by counsel.