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Is Lottery Money from Mega Millions Going To State’s Schools? |
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Monday, 17 September 2007 |
 Concerns over how much lottery money is actually
going to schools has prompted a judge to give the state lottery another eight
months to seek legislation that guarantees California's participation in the
multi-state Mega Millions lotto- is not shorting education its share of
gambling revenue. Assembly Bill 1251 by
Assemblyman Van Tran, R-Costa Mesa, would have extended the deadline for claiming a Mega Millions Grand
Prize from six months to one year, but stalled for the year when Democrats
forced unrelated amendments, opposed by the lottery.
. "The court acknowledged our efforts to
resolve the final issue in the Mega Millions lawsuit," Lottery Director
Joan Borucki said in a statement. "We are also pleased the court
recognized the current legislation, sponsored by the California lottery, would address the
court's concerns." Superior
Court Judge Lloyd Connelly ordered the change last year, saying the structure
of Mega Millions and differences in the way state lotteries operate could
combine to cut into California's
required allocation of at least 34 percent of revenues to schools. Connelly is
concerned that California's
lottery allows players up to 180 days to claim all prizes, while other Mega
Millions' states allow up to a year. Because of how the system is set up, Connelly said that if the Grand
Prize were claimed by an out-of-state winner after California's six-month deadline, schools
here would not get their fair share. The ruling is the remnants of a
lawsuit filed by Californians Against Gambling Expansion that sought to block
the state's 2005 entrance into Mega Millions, claiming it was unconstitutional
without approval of voters. Connelly previously rejected that suit.
MediaNews contributed to his story
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Last Updated ( Monday, 17 September 2007 )
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