The Arkansas Lottery bill that voters approved in the November election is just one signature away from becoming a reality after the bill passed the Arkansas House and Senate in unanimous votes on Monday.
Govenor Mike Beebe is expected to sign the bill, and the proceeds raised from the new Arkansas lottery will go to expand the Arkansas Academic Challenge scholarships.
None of this is particularly unexpected, but if this all works the way it is supposed to, getting a college education in Arkansas is about to be a lot easier. We wrote about the lottery back in September when we found out Georgia has a similar program that now gives full ride scholarships to any student who can keep a B average.
Here’s hoping this turns out to be a good thing for Arkansas, and that a lot of people who could never have afforded to go to college get the education they are entitled to.
If only this lottery bill could do something about my student loans…
“If only this lottery bill could do something about my student loans…”
This is the choir that needs to be heard in the bailout, not the financial lenders and idiots who negotiated bad mortgages.
TAX THE STUPID!!!!!!
I don’t think the end will justify the means. The percentage of lottery moneys isn’t usually above 50%, which means we’re giving some money to education, but most of it to perpetuating bad habits.
Ah, the lottery….a “get rich quick” scheme for those with poor math skills! But, the people have spoken and want this for Arkansas – so let’s all play it occassionally and enjoy it.
Best Regards,
Bob-O
I’ll be buying the occasional lottery ticket, for sure. Yeah, I know that my odds of winning are 1:432,548,364, but it just so happens that 432,548,364 is my lucky number.
And when I win, everyone who commented on this story will have their student loan debt paid off by yours truly*
*I reserve the right to not actually pay off your student loan debt when I win.
Lottery: a tax on people who are bad at math.
seriously though, I LOVE it! It’s about time Arkansas got a lotto…
a. brown:
If we weren’t bordered by several lottery playing states, I’d agree with you.
Hopefully we are just keeping some of our money in state instead of throwing it to Texas and Mo.
For the same reason, I would support 4-5 big casinos being built in Hot Springs.
I have to say that giving some extra money to funding education can’t hurt. I am excited for it.
TB: I guess I forget about how close we are to Missouri and Oklahoma. Damn my aesthetics, but I find casinos cheap and nasty, and am glad we don’t have any. I mean, crap, there’s gotta be a better way.
I think if casinos were done in Hot Springs, strict architectural guidelines should be put on them, to preserve more of what is good about Hot Springs. If Mississippi can regulate them to being in the water, (and Shreveport) then we can regulate them to be historically blended with downtown Hot Springs.
CAthy:
I am also excited about what the increased 4year college enrollment and improved education across the state can do for Arkansas and Fayetteville.
[...] voted in favor of the lottery bill, and in the Spring of this year, the Arkansas Lottery had cleared the legislative hurdles it needed to clear, and is on track to set a record turn time from voting to implementation when it [...]