Rep. Cooper presents S.B. 662 in the Arkansas House of Representatives.
On Tuesday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed S.B. 662.
This good bill by Sen. Ricky Hill (R – Cabot), Sen. Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View), and Rep. Cameron Cooper (R – Romance) establishes the last Wednesday of September as a Day of Prayer for Arkansas Students every year.
S.B. 662 calls on the citizens to “pray, meditate, or otherwise reflect upon” students, teachers, school administrators, and schools across the state. It is similar to a law in Kentucky.
It’s a really simple bill, but it’s a really good measure that does a lot.
The report reveals that the Arkansas Lottery spent only 12% of its gross revenue on scholarships — despite bringing in a record-setting $67.9 million in March.
More than 70% of the Lottery’s revenue went to prizes instead.
For perspective, the typical state lottery budgets approximately 25% – 30% of its revenue for education and about 60% for prizes.
S.B. 649 by Sen. Charles Beckham (R – McNeil) and Rep. Richard Womack (R – Arkadelphia) would require the Arkansas Lottery to increase the percentage of its revenue budgeted for scholarships to 25% over the next six years. This would bring the Arkansas Lottery up to the standards of the typical state-run lottery — and it most likely would provide millions of additional dollars in scholarship funding.
Below is a breakdown of Lottery revenue and prize spending for Fiscal Year 2021.
