Arkansas Blog: Lottery backers

Lt. Gov. Bill Halter's lottery campaign announces mayors and county judges who support the idea.

NEWS RELEASE

Little Rock - Mayors and county judges from across Arkansas have thrown their support behind a proposed constitutional amendment to bring a scholarship lottery to the state, Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter announced today.

“The endorsement of so many local elected officials, representing a broad economic and geographical base, is a tremendous boost for HOPE for Arkansas’s initiative to provide greater opportunities for tens of thousands of Arkansans to go to college,” Halter said.

Halter announced May 13 that HOPE for Arkansas had gathered the 77,468 signatures of registered voters required to qualify the amendment for the November general election ballot. The amendment authorizes the Arkansas General Assembly to establish a lottery to fund college scholarships and grants for Arkansans attending certified two-year and four-year colleges and universities in the state.

”I have friends and neighbors who regularly purchase out-of-state lottery tickets. I favor them having the opportunity to invest in Arkansas students through a scholarship lottery,” Springdale Mayor Jerre Van Hoose said of his decision to endorse the initiative.

Harrison Mayor Pat Moles said: “Cities and towns in north Arkansas lose money whenever residents cross the Missouri line to play the lottery. If you’re going to buy a lottery ticket, you should be able to buy it in Arkansas. We need to keep Arkansas money in Arkansas, supporting higher education in our state.”

In east Arkansas, Forrest City Mayor Gordon McCoy said he backs a scholarship lottery because of the people it will help.

“Many Arkansas families, especially in the Delta, are having a tough time. They’re paying more for food, gas and medicine, and that makes it hard to save enough to send their children to college,” McCoy said. “These are the people who would benefit most from the lottery.”

Union County Judge Bobby Edmonds also expressed support. “The El Dorado Promise scholarship program in my hometown has been a huge success in getting students excited about academics and the opportunity to earn a college degree,” Edmonds said. “I believe a scholarship lottery would have the same positive impact across Arkansas.”

In southwest Arkansas, Sevier County Judge Dick Tallman said institutions of higher education stand to gain. “What I like about this proposal is that lottery proceeds would fund scholarships for students enrolled in both two-year and four-year colleges in Arkansas. That’s great news for Cossatot Community College here in De Queen.”

Mayors in Arkansas endorsing the scholarship lottery amendment are:

· Augusta Mayor Jimmy Rhodes

· Brinkley Mayor Barbara Skouras

· Charleston Mayor Sherman Hiatt

· Farmington Mayor Ernie Penn

· Fayetteville Mayor Dan Coody

· Fordyce Mayor William C. Lyon

· Forrest City Mayor Gordon McCoy

· Harrison Mayor Pat Moles

· Helena-West Helena Mayor James Valley

· Lonoke Mayor Wayne McGee

· Madison Mayor Bobby Hardrick

· Marked Tree Mayor Dixon Chandler

· Mena Mayor George McKee

· Mountain View Mayor Jim Cash

· Siloam Springs Mayor M.L. Van Poucke Jr.

· Springdale Mayor Jerre Van Hoose

· Stuttgart Mayor Marianne Maynard

· White Hall Mayor James “Jitters” Morgan.

County Judges in Arkansas endorsing the scholarship lottery amendment are:

· Benton County Judge Gary Black

· Carroll County Judge Richard Williams

· Columbia County Judge Larry Atkinson

· Desha County Judge Mark McElroy

· Fulton County Judge Charles Willett

· Lonoke County Judge Charlie Troutman

· Perry County Judge True Robinson

· Phillips County Judge Don Gentry

· Poinsett County Judge Doyle Hillis

· Randolph County Judge David Jansen

· Sevier County Judge Dick Tallman

· Van Buren County Judge Robert Bramlett

· Union County Judge Bobby Edmonds

In addition, the Scholarship Lottery has the support of major labor organizations in Arkansas. These include the state AFL-CIO and its member unions, representing more than 30,000 Arkansans; the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 2008, 5,300 members; the Teamsters, Local 878, 3,300 members; the Arkansas Regional Council of Carpenters, 1,500 members; and the Service Employees International Union, Local 100, 500 members.

Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas are among the 42 states that have lotteries. All net proceeds from these border-state lotteries support public education.

Comments

I see my own mayor on that list and I have to say, knowing him personally, I'm a bit surprised, although not unpleasantly.

Posted by: Arkansas Student | May 28, 2008 01:57 PM

Let's vote! Mob rule!

Posted by: bugeyedlittlefreak | May 28, 2008 02:07 PM

OK, Judge Buddy Villines and Sheriff Doc Holladay of Pulaski County, where haven't you guys signed on? Are you against giving promising young people held back by a scarcity of dollars a chance to attend college? You need to explain yourselves.

Posted by: durangokid | May 28, 2008 03:03 PM

Duh, make that WHY ain'tcha signed on?

Posted by: durangokid | May 28, 2008 03:05 PM

And you, too, Mayor Stodola.

Posted by: durangokid | May 28, 2008 03:08 PM

The folks who will get rich are the LOTTO handlers and PR folks.. I say these should be contracted out on a every 2 or 3 rotation.. and how about demanding these contracts go to persons who are not rich, own no stocks, or even a (paid off) house.. Hell it's just a glorified bingo game..any jimmy dale or betty sue can run it.. ANd don't pay one woman with a twangy voice and big breasts a million dollars a year to call out numbers... rotate that job too.

now, give me 5 winning quick-picks, please..

Posted by: Eureka Springs, AR | May 28, 2008 04:04 PM

Lotteries are a HIGHLY INEFFICENT way to raise money. Half of the tax money will go for operations. It takes a pretty dumb person to buy lottery tickets, but it takes even a dumber one to support such a wasteful way of raising taxes.

Posted by: liberal Dem looking forward to 2012 | May 28, 2008 06:29 PM

Yep, ole Bill Halter, a Rhodes Scholar and the lottery's chief proponent, sho' nuff is a dummy.

Posted by: durangokid | May 28, 2008 08:39 PM

Just like the Liar-in-Chief and Darth Cheney, it's all motivated by purely altruistic motives . . .

click on the handle for a view of the cooperation among the endorsing group.

Posted by: docholliday | May 28, 2008 10:09 PM

Oops! Wrong handle URL. Try again

Posted by: docholliday | May 28, 2008 10:11 PM

"Yep, ole Bill Halter, a Rhodes Scholar and the lottery's chief proponent, sho' nuff is a dummy."

And where did G.W. Bush attend school.....? You think he's smart too?

Posted by: liberal Dem looking forward to 2012 | May 29, 2008 01:52 AM

Will the purchase of lottery tickets be subject to state, county, & city sales taxes and will we be able to purchase them with our debit cards?

Posted by: MysteryShopper | May 29, 2008 07:51 AM

Hey, lib, G.W. Bush (definitely a dummy) was not a Rhodes Scholar. Where he went to school is irrelevant.

Posted by: durangokid | May 29, 2008 09:30 AM

Yeah... I know he wasn't a Rhodes Scholar. Duh...
And being a Rhodes Scholar doesn't mean you know everything.

Posted by: liberal Dem looking forward to 2012 | May 29, 2008 01:00 PM

look at me, i's postin' onna blog sayin' road skollars don't knows evraythang.

Posted by: JD | May 29, 2008 02:27 PM

Ignorance is bliss...obviously.

Posted by: liberal Dem looking forward to 2012 | May 29, 2008 08:48 PM

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