Change the NC Lottery?

With recent budget cuts at our schools, the question comes up what about that North Carolina Lottery? Where is that money going?

Having lived in California when its lottery passed, the same concerns were present. Just like here, lottery money ends up being a small part of the education budget.

With that said, is that the best way spend our lottery winnings?

Georgia’s winnings fund the HOPE Scholarship, and has become a successful model for otherv lotteries, including the South Carolina Education Lottery. Our lottery is not the envy of all.

I have only heard good thing about the HOPE program, where good students get free college tuition at in-state schools. This program seems to offer more direct and tangible benefits to its residents.

The North Carolina Lottery passed in 2005. I don’t recall being asked (or if there was a debate on the subject) how to spend our winnings. I would have favored such a scholarship to our current program.

Can we change our program?