Proposed Lottery Overhaul Appears Dead in State House

Tennessee’s lottery scholarship probably will not change this year, after House members questioned the need to make the full $4 thousand scholarship harder to get.

Projections from last year had the lottery going broke over the next decade. That prompted some lawmakers to look at saving money, by raising the requirements or lowering the payout. The Senate passed such a proposal. But in a House committee members argued improved projections made changes unnecessary.

Democratic Leader Craig Fitzhugh asked state researcher Thomas Sanford how much money the lottery fund would have a decade from now.

Sanford: “Currently, if no legislation is enacted, it’s $237 million.”
Fitzhugh: “So we can still have $237 million and keep from cutting scholarships for over five thousand people if we can continue just like we are?”
Sanford: “Correct.”
Fitzhugh: “Thank you.”

The proposed change was pulled off the agenda before a vote, likely killing it for the year.