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Arkansas Lottery Scholarship Funding Remains Dismal Despite Best December on Record

Jan 20, 2021Jerry CoxArkansas LotteryArkansas Lottery

Scholarship funding at the Arkansas Lottery has remained dismal despite the fact that the Lottery had what appears to be its best December on record.

Reports recently released by the state’s Lottery Office show the Arkansas Lottery took in more than $50.3 million last month, but paid about $5.9 million to college scholarships — about 12 cents out of every dollar the Lottery earned.

Overall, less than 17% of the Lottery’s revenue has gone to scholarships this year while 70% has gone to prizes.

For perspective, the typical state-run lottery spends about 30% of its revenue on education and about 60% on prizes.

Below is a breakdown of lottery revenue and scholarship spending so far this fiscal year.

Month	Gross Lottery Revenue	Paid to Scholarships	% Gross Revenue
July	$49,780,369.99	$8,592,573.93	17.3%
August	49,672,105.04	7,862,917.44	15.8%
September	47,501,224.72	7,691,576.99	16.2%
October	42,615,839.96	8,447,337.00	19.8%
November	43,115,514.84	8,207,598.88	19.0%
December	50,329,644.30	5,970,922.53	11.9%
Total	$283,014,698.85	$46,772,926.77	16.5%

Free Conference on Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide

Jan 20, 2021Jerry CoxEuthanasia and Assisted SuicideAssisted Suicide, Euthanasia

*Speakers for the upcoming virtual conference on preserving the sanctity of life at the end of life.*

Family Council is supporting Arkansas Right to Life’s 2021 Preserving the Sanctity of Life at the End of Life conference.

The conference is free, and it will be held virtually this year on Saturday, February 6.

Conference speakers include:

Alex Schadenberg, Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, Ontario, Canada
Dr. William Toffler, Family Medicine, Portland, Oregon
Dr. David Smith,, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Specialist, Baptist Health in Little Rock, Arkansas
Father Jason Tyler, Bioethicist, Diocese of Little Rock
Father Joseph Chan, MD, MDiv, Chaplain, Mercy Hospital, Fort Smith, Arkansas

The conference agenda is available at artl.org.

Registration is free, but space in the virtual conference is limited.

Family Council Supports H.B. 1211 Recognizing Religion is Essential in Arkansas

Jan 19, 2021Jerry CoxReligious FreedomArkansas Legislature, Religious Freedom

On Tuesday Representative Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) and Senator Kim Hammer (R – Benton) filed H.B. 1211 recognizing that religion and religious organizations are essential in Arkansas.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “This is a good bill. Public officials have the authority to protect health and public safety, but the First Amendment – including the free exercise of religion – is never suspended. H.B. 1211 ensures our government shall never close churches and other houses of worship even during a disaster or other emergency.”

Cox said H.B. 1211 will protect churches and religious groups without hampering the government’s ability to respond during a pandemic. “H.B. 1211 protects houses of worship from being singled out during an emergency the way they have been in other states. The bill prevents the government from penalizing a house of worship or other religious group that continues to hold services during an emergency. The bill also requires that churches and religious groups comply with the same basic health and safety standards everyone else does.”

Cox said the bill ensures that religious groups and charities are able to continue serving their communities during an emergency. “Churches, religious organizations, and charities provide support and stability to people in their communities during an emergency. They need to be free to serve people without worrying that the government might penalize them for it. H.B. 1211 helps make sure these groups continue to serve our state, and it makes sure that Arkansans are able to continue exercising their religious liberties even during a pandemic.”

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock.

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