Will Lottery Talk Gain Traction In 2010?
Haley Barbour has continually said that next year’s state budget will not be “business as usual” in reference to the projected revenue shortfalls the state will continue to face. This has led Barbour and others to bring up many delicate issues- such as education consolidation- which may or may not see any action in the next legislative session. But the fact that these issues have surfaced detail just where the budget for FY2011 is.
Another controversial idea that has been mentioned in the past but never seriously debated is a state lottery. State Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (D-Brookhaven) told the Daily Leader that it will be “more seriously discussed than it ever has been.”
The surrounding states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee all have their own lottery. The revenue is generally used to fund education programs. Alabama, like Mississippi, does not have a lottery, and voters most recently rejected an initiative that was pushed by former Gov. Don Siegelman in 1999.
While the additional revenue may sound nice, I do not see an appetite among state legislators to go forward with a lottery in 2010. It was left out of proposals from both the executive and legislative branches, has powerful lobbying groups who are opposed to it, and a population that is certainly not begging for it.
I see this going the way of consolidation- doesn’t even get seriously debated. It’s funny we talk about how this is not “business as usual” and while we may not see direct partisan issues come up…it doesn’t look like a whole lot has changed to me. I could be wrong though, time will tell.
Gambling is always the answer. I thought the other day how much better things would be if we legalized pot and prostitution too.
You joke but some states are going that route.