Republican leaders are proposing legislation that would tie changes to lottery scholarship requirements to lottery revenue growth. A GOP-backed measure that would cut some students' scholarships in half has drawn heavy criticism from Democrats who say it's unnecessary because the lottery's education proceeds have increased 4 percent since 2005, with about $10 million more coming in a year. Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Dolores Gresham announced Tuesday in a statement that if the $10 million is sustained through 2015, then the provisions in the proposal to reduce the scholarship would not apply. Lottery officials on Tuesday announced record sales of $130 million in February. They told members of the Senate Education Committee last week that the lottery has set record gross sales every month since July.
Shelly Baskin works in MSU's Office of Regional Outreach and is a graduate student in Occupational Safety and Health. A roustabout from Memphis, Tennessee, Shelly first found his way into WKMS through the newsroom back in 2011 through luck, charm and force of will. Though he left news for another position, he still enjoys working on independent radio projects and volunteering for the station. He’s an avid disc golfer and occasional real golfer and is terrible at both. A lover of all things musical, Shelly is always ready to hear something new and unique.
