Lottery Oversight Committee Goes To Conference

The Senate agreed this week to create an oversight committee (HB 2212, which I sponsored) that would ensure all lottery profits are being used for education and not replacing existing education funds. The House passed a slightly different bill two weeks ago, meaning the two chambers will have to work out differences in a conference committee, which I am a member of, before we adjourn. The House wants a 16-member panel made up of legislators, educators, school administrators, and a county commissioner. The Senate’s proposal has a nine-member committee. The lottery is expected to provide $425 million in the coming year for early childhood education, reducing class size, school construction, and college scholarships for needy students.