Arkansas faces lottery battle, other moral, ethical issues
- Apr 2, 2007 - 3
Lady Luck is once again raising her ugly head in Arkansas in an attempt to overturn a state constitutional ban on establishment of a state lottery.
Larry Page, executive director of the Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council (AFEC), says such a move would be a bad bet. Page and his organization also have their eyes on other bills with moral or ethical ramifications.
HJR 1005, sponsored by Rep. Will Bond, would authorize the General Assembly to establish a state lottery to help fund college scholarships and teacher bonuses.
“The lottery can be described as the most insidious form of gambling,” Page wrote in an essay on gambling. “The regressivity of the lottery as a tax is such an established fact that even the most clever economists hired by the lottery proponents can not convincingly refute it.
“Second, since the state, not a private sector entity, operates the lottery with the knowledge of the toll it takes on the economically disadvantaged, it is a case of the state acting as an economic predator of its weakest citizens.”
Lt. Gov. Bill Halter proposed using the lottery income to provide money for Arkansas students to attend two and four-year colleges or vocational schools. He campaigned for office on promises to promote a lottery benefiting education.
But Page and other opponents say funds previously earmarked for educational purposes in other states with lotteries are often re-routed, leaving institutions with the same budget as before the lottery.
“We turn these initiatives back every legislative session, and we are confident we can do so again,” Page says. “However, this year that may prove more difficult, since we have never had a public official as high as a lieutenant governor being the chief proponent of a state lottery as we do this session.”
Halter, however, says Arkansans who want to play the lottery already do so. “They just drive across the border to do it and we loose the net proceeds,” he says.
But Page believes Arkansans have seen that the lottery “is a poor economic tool and … a regressive tax” that “really doesn’t help education in states that have it.”
If the proposal passes, it would go before voters in November 2008. Voters rejected proposed lottery amendments in 1996 and 2000, but those amendments also would have permitted casino gambling.
Page urges Baptists to let their voices be heard in opposition to a lottery.
“We either stop the lottery now in the legislature or face a protracted, arduous and costly campaign for nearly the entire year of 2008,” he says, adding even then, there’s no guarantee of a victory.
“Get word to your state senator and state representative, asking them to oppose and vote against any measures to establish a state lottery,” Page says.
Email addresses of legislators are on the AFEC Web site, www.afec.org.
“You also can write notes to your legislators and send them to the state capitol or to their home addresses,” Page continues. “Another option would be to try to reach them by phone at their homes on the weekends. If you choose that route, please be cognizant of their limited time and be concise when you discuss the lottery with them.”
Another method is placing a call to the switchboards at the state Senate and House of Representatives, leaving messages for one’s senator and representative, asking them to oppose a state lottery. Those numbers are 501-682-2902 for the Senate and 501-682-6211 for the House.
“Be respectful and Christlike,” Page urges. “Even when they don’t agree with our stance on a given issue, they will give an attentive ear and an open mind to our position.
“The case against casino and lottery gambling is solid, compelling and persuasive,” he says. “Arkansas can do better than what the gambling promoters have to offer. The ‘gamble’ they offer is a loser – a bad bet indeed.”
Meanwhile, the Senate on a 24-9 vote approved a revised charitable bingo and raffle bill introduced by the House. The bill, HB1426, would control and track a constitutional amendment voters approved last year, which allows religious organizations and other nonprofit groups to conduct raffles and bingo games as fund raisers.
The bill would assure such groups would need to be in existence in Arkansas for at least five years in order to be licensed to conduct such games. It also would assure that receipts from such ventures could be used only for charitable, religious or philanthropic purposes, according to Rep. Shirley Walters, who sponsored the bill. It restricts organizations from hiring agents to run the games and prohibits them from paying employees from the proceeds. It further limits the size of prizes and the hours of operation for such games.
Page testified before the Senate State Agencies Committee in favor of HB1426.
“I want to make it clear that I was not supporting or championing charitable bingo,” Page says. “We are going to have charitable bingo. … Arkansas voters voted in landslide proportions to establish charitable bingo via a constitutional amendment. We campaigned against charitable bingo up until the time it was approved by voters.”
The objective now, Page states, is to back legislation that assures charitable bingo will be conducted by bona fide charitable organizations operated by unpaid volunteers and actually used for charitable causes. He wants to prevent large commercial bingo enterprises from springing up.
“We believe HB1426 comes closest to achieving those goals,” Page says. “… If we must have charitable bingo, and we would prefer not to have it, let’s make as certain as possible that it really is charitable and that it doesn’t easily allow abuses. I think HB1426 will do that.”
He notes the critical element will be whether the law is adequately enforced. The Department of Finance and Administration (DF&A) is responsible for enforcing the restrictions and standards of the charitable bingo law.
“The integrity of the bingo operations in our state will be only as good as DF&A’s enforcement,” Page says.
In yet another measure with moral implications, a bill filed on March 5, the last day for submitting bills to this year’s legislative session, seeks to reinstate an Arkansas ban on gay foster parents that was overturned by the state Supreme Court. Senate Bill 959, which passed the Senate 20-7, would prevent gays and cohabitating couples from serving as foster or adoptive parents.
“This is a bill worthy of your support,” Page said. “It is not about intolerance, and it is not about bigotry, or prejudice or animus for anyone or any lifestyle. It is simply about the best interests of children at risk.”
Opponents claim the bill is unconstitutional and pledge to challenge it in court, but a similar adoption ban in Florida withstood a court challenge.
Also on the last day, a bill was filed that would allow emergency rooms to give rape victims the morning-after pill. Competing measures were introduced on vaccination of schoolgirls against a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cancer. One proposal would bar the state from requiring such inoculations, while the other would set up a program to provide them.
On page 5 of the March 8 Arkansas Baptist News, Page reported on House Bill 2242 (HB 2242), which would reduce the percentage of registered voter signatures on petitions necessary to call a local option election to change the dry/wet status of a county or a political subdivision of a county. Currently, the petitions must bear signatures of 38 percent of the county’s registered voters. HB 2242 would lower that percentage to 15 percent, making it easier to make a dry county wet.
“It is no stretch to say that HB 2242 has the potential to cause more tumult in this state in the area of alcohol than anything since the repeal of prohibition,” Page says.
Yet another bill, HB 2432, is intended to improve the Private Club law. If it becomes law, it would delete some language inserted in the state’s private club law in the 2003 legislative session that has made it easier for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC Board) to grant private club permits to restaurants.
“If HB 2432 becomes law, we aren’t certain just how much it will change things,” Page says. “The ABC Board will still be able to grant permits to restaurants. … Before we go headlong in supporting HB 2432, since its impact may be minimal, we want to be certain support for it doesn’t end up helping HB 2242, which would lower the percentage of signatures of registered voters that must be gathered to call a local option election to change the dry/wet status of a county.”
HB 1536, which would bar adult-oriented businesses from operating within 1,000 feet of schools, childcare centers, churches or parks, passed both houses and goes to Gov. Beebe to sign.
HB 1651, which would allow small wineries to sell their products in grocery stores and other retail stores, had passed a Senate committee at press time.
This article is reprinted from the April 2, 2007, issue of Arkansas Baptist News, the newsjournal of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.
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3 comments (post your own) feed
1 On Feb 14th, 2008, at 9:41pm, dave wrinkle wrote:
I saw how this happened in Texas. It was a bad deal. The ad agency put the billboards up in Spanish right in Spanish neighborhoods to lure the poorest people in the state to play the lotto.
People and kids went hungy as gambling is like a narcotic drug to a drug addict.
It looks good....fun and promises what life would be like to be ‘RICH!’
The chances of winning are less than that of being struck by lightening by 10 thousand.
The only people who will benefit is local already publically held Corporate Media.
WE have enough gambling...close enough to us without having it in our local stores.
sincerely.
Dave Wrinkle
54 Blue Mountain Drive
Maumelle. Arkansas
2 On Mar 25th, 2008, at 10:36am, p. jolly wrote:
I just moved here from Fl and played about $5.00 a week on the lotto. Sure my odds aren’t that great of winning, but so what! Its just a fun ,inexpensive form of entertainment. Addictive people are going to do what they will if they are gambling addicted. How about horse racing in Hot Springs? Come on Arkansas, get with the program. Let people make up their own minds like they are “allowed”
to in most other states. Once again the religious right (who has plenty of closet gamblers) imposes their beliefs upon others and denies our constitutional rights of freedom of choice.
3 On May 1st, 2008, at 3:15pm, Jenn wrote:
I am all about funding for education. Nevada has proved that this can work because they have some of the best schools in the nation. But, my problem is, the way I understand it is that this will go to fund scholarships for higher education. What about funding THE ROAD to higher education. A lot of good those scholarships are going to do to all those kids who don’t make it to graduation. All those children who don’t have an affluent background whose parents work two jobs and don’t have time to engage their child’s education with enrichment activities. The kids who can’t afford a compass, protractor, $100 calculator, lunch… That’s where the problem is! For those of you who don’t know how financial aid works for college, WE GET PAID TO GO ALREADY! So much money is handed out in excess aid checks. There is enough scholarship money and federal aid out there. Spend some money on the kids so they can get to the point where they can use it.