Mark Lowery Was a True Champion for Homeschooling in Arkansas

In Memoriam
Above: Rep. Mark Lowery and Jerry Cox visit following passage of Act 820 of 2021 prohibiting public schools in Arkansas from engaging in transactions with abortion providers.

On Wednesday Family Council learned Arkansas Treasurer Mark Lowery passed away at the age of 66.

Family Council President Jerry Cox issued a statement, saying, “Mark Lowery was a true champion for homeschooling. Legislation he sponsored over the years not only helps current homeschoolers, but it will help generations of homeschoolers yet unborn. Mark’s commitment to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was evident in the legislation he sponsored and in his statesmanship as a public servant. We need more elected officials like Mark Lowery. I consider him a true and faithful friend.”

As a state legislator, Mark Lowery sponsored many good bills, including:

  • Act 1469 of 2013, Arkansas’ “Tim Tebow” law that lets homeschoolers participate in interscholastic activities at public schools.
  • Act 635 of 2017 making it easier for home schoolers to file their Notice of Intent to Home School online or by mail.
  • Act 592 of 2017 letting home schoolers participate in interscholastic activities outside their resident school district if both school districts agree.
  • Act 453 of 2017 amending the state’s “Tim Tebow” law by letting home schoolers participate in interscholastic activities at any private school within 25 miles of the student’s home if the private school is a member of the Arkansas Activities Association and agrees to let the home schooler participate.
  • Act 173 of 2017 letting home schoolers take courses at their local public schools if the school is willing to enroll them.
  • Act 863 of 2017 requiring public schools to give home schoolers who re-enroll in school the very same rights and privileges as public school students and generally preventing the school from denying a home schooler appropriate class credits, proper grade level placement, and the ability to graduate.
  • Act 429 of 2019 preventing schools from charging home schooled students extra to take concurrent credit courses for college credit.
  • Act 430 of 2019 making it easier for home schooled students to access academic courses offered though the local public school system.
  • Act 820 of 2021 prohibiting public schools in Arkansas from engaging in transactions with abortion providers.
  • Act 623 of 2021 making it easier for a student to withdraw from a public school to home school.

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Share of Adults Who Have “Never Married” Rises in Arkansas

Marriage, ,

A rising share of adults in Arkansas have never married, according to reports from the federal government.

In June, Pew Research published an analysis showing “a record-high share of 40-year-olds in the U.S. have never been married.” The article notes that,

As of 2021, 25% of 40-year-olds in the United States had never been married. This was a significant increase from 20% in 2010, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data.

This isn’t simply a nationwide trend. Census Bureau data specifically for Arkansas shows a rising share of adults have never married as well.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey found that 17% of men ages 35-44 and 12.6% of women ages 35-44 reported having never married. By 2021, those percentages had increased to 23.8% of men and 18% of women ages 35-44.

Similar increases were seen among other age groups.

Overall, married Arkansans dropped from 51% of the population in 2010 to 48.9% in 2021.

Cohabitation could be one explanation for the rising percentage of adults who have never married, but Pew Research actually found that most 40-year-olds who have never married were not living with a romantic partner. The article notes that nationwide, “In 2022, [only] 22% of never-married adults ages 40 to 44 were cohabiting.”

More and more, adults in America — including in Arkansas — seem to be either delaying marriage or simply forgoing marriage entirely.

Research repeatedly has shown that healthy marriages are good for adults, good for children, and good for society.

Cohabitation creates relationships that are less happy and less healthy. Meanwhile, children with a married mother and father are less likely to live in poverty.

Married couples report more satisfaction across the board than cohabiting couples, and marriage is also broadly connected with better health and wellbeing. 

As social commentator John Stone Street noted last year,

Marriage is a part of the created order. Though some marriages will tragically end for various reasons and others may want marriage but struggle to find it, the Church can provide vital community for all of its members, while still promoting marriage for the God-given good that it is. And when marriages hit rocky ground, resources like Focus on the Family’s Hope Restored conferences, are available for those willing to fight for reconciliation … with incredible stories of success. 

Ultimately, though, a successful marriage requires the same thing as Christianity, a commitment to something bigger than ourselves.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Listen: The Arkansas Lottery Could Boost Education Spending By Cutting Its Prize Budget

Arkansas Lottery, Podcast,

This is Family Council in Little Rock. Today, we delve into the Arkansas Lottery and its allocation of funds for college scholarships. For over a decade, concerns have been raised about the state’s lottery failing to prioritize education funding. Let’s take a closer look at the numbers.

As percentages go, the Arkansas Lottery has one of the highest prize budgets among state lotteries in America. However, it allocates far less for education than the typical state lottery does, and less than it is capable of budgeting.

In fiscal year 2023, the Arkansas Lottery took in an astounding $608 million. It spent approximately 19% of that revenue on college scholarships and 69% of its revenue on prizes.

Now, let’s illustrate how the funding could change if the Arkansas Lottery decided to prioritize education further. Imagine the Lottery took in $600 million in a year. Currently, the budget would be approximately $114 million for college scholarships and $414 million for prizes.

However, by reducing the prize budget to 60% of its revenue, the Lottery could increase its scholarship budget to 25% of its gross revenue. This would result in approximately $150 million going towards college scholarships and $360 million towards prizes.

Lottery officials have expressed concerns that decreasing prizes and increasing scholarship funding might lead to a decline in ticket purchases. However, it’s worth noting that this has not been the case in other states.

Even if lottery ticket sales plummeted, the Arkansas Lottery could still provide millions of additional dollars for education by budgeting 25 cents out of every dollar for college scholarships instead of the current 19 cents.

The Arkansas Lottery has the potential to provide more money for college scholarships, even if lottery ticket sales were to drop. By adjusting its budget and prioritizing education, the Lottery could make a significant difference in the lives of Arkansas students.

That’s all for today. If you liked this story, be sure to check out our website at Family Council.org. You can find all kinds of news and information there. Thanks for listening.

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