For the first time, lawmakers gave us an idea of how Arkansas' new lottery system may work. The group that's been hammering out the framework behind closed doors held an open meeting. They walked everyone through a draft bill that would set up the lottery commission and layout the groundwork for the actual gaming.
Convenience store owners are chomping at the bit to start selling these tickets. The draft bill says they'd get 5 percent commission on ticket sales. Casinos and video gambling would not be allowed. But scratch off tickets, drawings, and multi-state games like Megamillions and Powerball would be.
Business has slowed at Joe's Grocery in Little Rock over the past year but this could turn things around. "Five percent is more than what we were expecting as far as our cut of the lottery tickets. I think it will draw a lot of customers in," said Jason Alley with Joe's Grocery.
"The only place we want that money going to is Arkansas students to go to Arkansas schools," said Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter. As the lottery's primary backer, Halter is pleased lawmakers are making progress and that their plans are out in the open.
The draft sets up a 9-person lottery commission appointed by the governor, house speaker, and senate president. And it would run like a business with little legislative involvement. But this is by no means in stone.
"This is an ongoing process. We are certainly not at the end of the road, but I firmly believe were are closer to the end of the road than we are the beginning," says House Speaker Robbie Wills.
Now, all other lawmakers get their chance to make changes in the form of amendments after the bill is submitted. But some think the entire body should look at this together in a "committee of the whole" session before legislators vote on it.
"I want more than a yes or no. I want to be able to make substantive changes that help my district, that help the state," said Representative John Burris of Harrison.
One thing's for sure. Whatever lawmakers do they want to work quickly. They say every day without the lottery is a day the state could be making money. Business owners are eager too.
"Eventually in the future, it will help us out a lot," Jason Alley told us.
House Speaker Wills expects the bill to be filed in the next 2 weeks.
