On Wednesday Sen. Charles Beckham (R – McNeil) and Rep. Richard Womack (R – Arkadelphia) filed S.B. 649.
This is a really good bill that requires the Arkansas Lottery to increase the percentage of its revenue budgeted for scholarships over the next six years.
Right now the Arkansas Lottery allocates around 16% of its gross revenue for scholarships. S.B. 649 would require the Lottery to increase that percentage annually until it reaches 25% in Fiscal Year 2027.
Arkansas should be able to do this.
The typical state lottery budgets approximately 30% of its gross revenue for education; Louisiana requires its lottery to budget at least 25%.
If other states can do it, so can Arkansas.