The state House on Monday passed a bill that would strip Gov. Sonny Perdue of his exclusive authority to appoint members of the Georgia Lottery Corporation board.

House lawmakers, outraged that $3 million in bonuses were awarded to lottery employees, passed the bill by a 119 to 32 vote.

HB 919 or http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/sum/hb919.htm passed with little comment from it's author, state Rep. Bill Hembree (R-Winston) and a vague warning by House Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin) about unintended consequences of overhauling the lottery commission board.

Under Hembree's bill, the board would grow from seven members, all now appointed by the governor, to nine.

The governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House of Representatives would each pick three lottery board members.

The bill now goes to the Senate.