GOP bill would allow Wisconsin lottery winners to remain anonymous

MADISON -- Two Republican lawmakers are introducing a bill that would allow lottery winners in Wisconsin to remain anonymous.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Rep. Gary Tauchen announced the bill Tuesday, April 23, about 40 minutes after Manuel Franco of West Allis appeared 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.