Despite Uptick, Arkansas Lottery Still Coming Up Short

Arkansas Lottery,

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports an uptick in ticket sales at the Arkansas Lottery. According to the article, sales for September, 2015, were the highest of any September since 2011.

Here’s the bad news: Despite this uptick in sales, the Arkansas Lottery only allocated 18.3%–$6.6 million–of its gross revenue for scholarships last month.

While we’re still only one quarter of the way into Fiscal Year 2016, these numbers put the Arkansas Lottery on track to pay out roughly $71 – $75 million in scholarships this fiscal year–$80 million on the high side.

To put these numbers into perspective, $75 million is a full $25 million less than lottery proponents insisted the Lottery would provide for scholarships six years ago, and 18.3% is barely better than half of the percentage Louisiana’s lottery allocates.

What’s more, according to Lottery officials, the Lottery’s uptick in sales during September was bolstered in part by a new $20 scratch-off ticket and a high PowerBall jackpot.

This is more of the same failed strategy. The Lottery’s strategy since Day One has been to prop up ticket sales artificially by rolling out new games. People are always excited to try the new lottery games, but as soon as the novelty wears off, ticket sales decline again. (more…)

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Pro-Life Law Protecting Minors Working as Intended

Abortion, , ,

fiteIn 2013 Rep. Charlene Fite (R-Van Buren) sponsored Act 725 which amends Arkansas’ Child Maltreatment Act.

Under Act 725, when a girl under the age of fourteen gets an abortion, the abortion facility must send tissue samples from the aborted baby to the State Crime Lab and contact the local law enforcement agency in the area where the girl resides.

The law also makes abortion clinic employees mandatory reporters of child abuse.

By notifying the State Crime Laboratory and local law enforcement, the state can ensure a girl obtaining an abortion is not the victim of a crime.

Act 725 of 2013 protects minors from being exploited by adults or coerced into having an abortion.

According to a recent article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Act 725 of 2013 has resulted in one arrest in the past year, which would seem to indicate the law is working as intended.

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A.G.’s Petition Could Set Stage to Overturn Roe v. Wade

Abortion, , ,

Earlier this week we wrote how Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review and uphold Arkansas’ Human Heartbeat Protection law, which prohibits most abortions after the twelfth week of pregnancy if a fetal heartbeat is detected.

Specifically, we have highlighted the fact that the A.G. has asked the court to review the so-called “viability rule” that restricts states from protecting unborn children early in pregnancy.

There is another component to the state’s petition to the U.S. Supreme Court: In a roundabout way, the Attorney General’s petition asks the U.S. Supreme Court a question that sets the stage to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Here is how: (more…)

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