By Todd Hatton
Murray, KY – Tennessee Democratic State Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle is calling on fellow lawmakers to find ways to boost lottery revenues instead of cutting back on the scholarship program. Governor Bill Haslam says he has assigned his staff to consider a broad range of options for stabilizing the lottery's finances. Kyle says while the Tennessee Higher Education Commission estimates the lottery will deplete its sizable reserves by 2024, it also reports annual losses could be stemmed with an 8 percent increase in ticket sales. Haslam says he's asked his staff for a comprehensive look at neighboring states' lottery programs to see if they might offer ideas for improvements in Tennessee.