HOPE for Arkansas campaign
Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter and the HOPE for Arkansas campaign announce the support of mayors and county judges from across Arkansas for proposed constitutional amendment to bring a scholarship lottery to the state.
Halter announced May 13 that HOPE for Arkansas had gathered the 77,468 signatures of registered voters required to qualify the amendment for the November general election ballot. The campaign plans to continue to gather signatures until they reach 100,000 to give themselves a cushion. The amendment authorizes the Arkansas General Assembly to establish a lottery to fund college scholarships and grants for Arkansans attending certified two-year and four-year colleges and universities in the state.
”I have friends and neighbors who regularly purchase out-of-state lottery tickets. I favor them having the opportunity to invest in Arkansas students through a scholarship lottery,” Springdale Mayor Jerre Van Hoose said of his decision to endorse the initiative.
Union County Judge Bobby Edmonds also expressed support. “The El Dorado Promise scholarship program in my hometown has been a huge success in getting students excited about academics and the opportunity to earn a college degree,” Edmonds said. “I believe a scholarship lottery would have the same positive impact across Arkansas.”
Mayors in Arkansas endorsing the scholarship lottery amendment are:
- Augusta Mayor Jimmy Rhodes
- Brinkley Mayor Barbara Skouras
- Charleston Mayor Sherman Hiatt
- Farmington Mayor Ernie Penn
- Fayetteville Mayor Dan Coody
- Fordyce Mayor William C. Lyon
- Forrest City Mayor Gordon McCoy
- Harrison Mayor Pat Moles
- Helena-West Helena Mayor James Valley
- Lonoke Mayor Wayne McGee
- Madison Mayor Bobby Hardrick
- Marked Tree Mayor Dixon Chandler
- Mena Mayor George McKee
- Mountain View Mayor Jim Cash
- Siloam Springs Mayor M.L. Van Poucke Jr.
- Springdale Mayor Jerre Van Hoose
- Stuttgart Mayor Marianne Maynard
- White Hall Mayor James “Jitters” Morgan.
County Judges in Arkansas endorsing the scholarship lottery amendment are:
- Benton County Judge Gary Black
- Carroll County Judge Richard Williams
- Columbia County Judge Larry Atkinson
- Desha County Judge Mark McElroy
- Fulton County Judge Charles Willett
- Lonoke County Judge Charlie Troutman
- Perry County Judge True Robinson
- Phillips County Judge Don Gentry
- Poinsett County Judge Doyle Hillis
- Randolph County Judge David Jansen
- Sevier County Judge Dick Tallman
- Van Buren County Judge Robert Bramlett
- Union County Judge Bobby Edmonds
In addition, the Scholarship Lottery has the support of major labor organizations in Arkansas. These include the state AFL-CIO and its member unions, the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 2008, the Teamsters, the Arkansas Regional Council of Carpenters, and the Service Employees International Union,
Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas are among the 42 states that have lotteries. All net proceeds from these border-state lotteries support public education.
For more information contact Michelle Kitchens at (501) 228-1324
Campaign Contribution Limits
The Ethics Commission contribution limits on individuals and political action committees for state races has increased from $1,000 to $2,000 per election. The state limits now match individual contribution limits on the federal level.
For more information contact Stanley Hill at 501-228-1564