4 News
THE POLK COUNTY
November 29, 2023
From the
State House of Representatives
ruary in years in which the As 2024 is approaching primary elections are held we would like to take this in May. The Fiscal Sessions time to give Arkansans a begin in April in years, look at what is ahead for the General Assembly. like this year, in which primary elections are held in Pre-fiscal session budJohn Maddox March. get hearings will begin Amendment 86 states Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Over the course of the bud- that each Fiscal Session shall not get hearings, the committee will exceed 30 days. The Fiscal Session may be exhear budget requests for all state boards, commissions, and agen- tended one time, however, for no cies. These hearings will continue more than 15 days, by a ¾ vote of both the House and Senate. through Friday, March 8, 2024. If the General Assembly is to The pre-filing period for appropriation bills begins on March take up any bills outside the scope of the budget, they must first 11, 2024. The General Assembly will have a 2/3 vote in both chambers convene for the 2024 Fiscal Ses- for a resolution describing the sion on April 10, 2024, at noon. bill. The deadline for those resoFiscal Sessions began after Ar- lutions is by the end of the first kansas voters approved what day of the session, April 10. As always, we will post all would become Amendment 86 in 2008. This will be the 8th Fis- meeting times and locations on cal Session held in state history. our website, arkansashouse.org. Fiscal Sessions are held in Feb-
Contact Your Legislators!
John Maddox
John Boozman
john.maddox@ arkansashouse.org 520 Church Avenue Mena, AR 71953 Call: 479-394-6060
1120 Garrison Ave. Suite 2B Fort Smith, AR 72901 Phone: (479) 573-0189 Fax: (479) 575-0553
Terry Rice
Bruce Westerman
Terry.Rice@senate.ar.gov P.O. Box 2195 Waldron, AR 72958 479-637-3100
101 Reserve St. Suite 200 Hot Springs, AR 71901 Phone: (501) 609-9796 Fax: (501) 609-9887
From the
State Senate
Pulse
When the jackpot apStudents at four-year instiproaches a billion dollars a tutions must maintain a 2.5 lot of people go out and buy grade point average to keep the lottery tickets, even though Academic Challenge scholarnormally they hardly pay any ships. They must complete 27 attention to the lottery. semester hours their first year Those occasions are good and 30 semester hours in folnews for Arkansas college stulowing years. Terry Rice dents, because the state will Their freshman year they recollect more money than usual for lot- ceive $1,000. In their sophomore and tery scholarships. junior years they get $4,000 and their For example, ticket sales in Septem- senior year they get $5,000. If a student ber were higher than average for the doesn’t need 15 hours to graduate in Arkansas Office of the Lottery. Rev- his or her senior year, the scholarship enue for the month was $47 million, amount is prorated according to the compared to $43 million in September number of hours taken. of 2022. Students at two-year colleges receive Lottery officials attribute the spike $1,000 their first year and $3,000 their in sales to a Powerball jackpot of about second year. They can get $1,500 for a a billion dollars. It generated interest fifth or final semester. among people who don’t routinely The approved institutions are private purchase lottery tickets. and publicly supported schools in ArSince Arkansas voters approved the kansas. lottery in a statewide election in 2008, Earlier this year the legislature creatit has generated about $1.3 billion for ed the Challenge Plus Scholarship Proscholarships, and more than 720,000 gram. To qualify a student has to meet scholarships have been awarded. Stores the academic requirements of the Acathat sell tickets have earned $395 mil- demic Challenge Scholarship, and also lion in retailer commissions. demonstrate a financial need. Those Last year the lottery generated students can receive additional awards $114.7 million for scholarships. of $1,000 to $4,000 a year. This year it will raise an estimated According to the web site of the $110.7 million, but that amount could Arkansas Lottery, the odds of wingrow if people are motivated to buy ning a Powerball jackpot are one in tickets because of enormous jackpots 292,201,338. in the Powerball and Mega Millions The web site also has hotlines to call lotteries. For the first three months of if you think you may have a gambling the current fiscal year, the lottery has addiction. Here are questions that generated $30.3 million for scholar- should raise a red flag: Have you gamships. bled for longer than you had planned? The Academic Challenge Schol- Have you used your savings to gamble? arship is the single largest program Have you borrowed money to gamble? financed by sales of lottery tickets, If you have a gambling problem you although they also fund other small- can call 1-800-522-4700. er scholarship programs. The annual The constitutional amendment that deadline for applications for Academic created lottery scholarship program Challenge scholarships is July 1. was not placed on the ballot by the This year about 27,000 students are legislature but was initiated by citizens’ receiving the Academic Challenge groups. In the 2008 election it passed Scholarship, an increase from 26,000 overwhelmingly by a vote of 648,122 who received it last year. in favor and 383,467 against.
