Bill would allow lottery winners in Wisconsin to remain anonymous

MADISON, Wis. (AP/CBS 58) -- Two Republican lawmakers are introducing a bill that would allow lottery winners in Wisconsin to stay anonymous.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Rep. Gary Tauchen announced the bill Tuesday, about 40 minutes after Manuel Franco of West Allis appeared in a Madison news conference to reveal he had won a $768 million Powerball jackpot, the third largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.

Current state law doesn't allow lottery winners to remain anonymous. Tauchen said in a news release announcing the bill that lottery winners often become targets of fraud, abuse, and harassment.

Franco said at his news conference that he felt a sense of paranoia after he realized he won. He says he thought somebody was behind him every day and he kept the winning ticket in a safe.

The proposed legislation prohibits the Department of Revenue, lottery administrators and the retailer who sold the ticket from disclosing the lottery prize winner’s name, address or social security number if the individual requests anonymity. More than a handful of states have similar privacy laws for lottery winners.