Builder makes $300K pledge for lottery campaign backed by Halter (UALR Public Radio) - Lt. Gov. Bill Halter announced Tuesday morning that a Little Rock builder has pledged $300,000 to his campaign to put a state-run lottery on the 2008 ballot.

Developer John Bailey and his family pledged the money to the group "Hope for Arkansas," which is Halter's campaign committee for the proposed constitutional amendment. Bailey is also listed as the treasurer of Hope for Arkansas on papers filed with the Ethics Commission.

Halter says he does not know when he will submit a revised version of the proposal to create the lottery. He says his plan for a state lottery would fund $100 million each year in college scholarships.

Attorney general Dustin McDaniel last week rejected the wording of the proposed amendment, but Halter can resubmit.

Once the wording is approved, Halter can begin gathering the 78,000 signatures of registered voters necessary to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. © Copyright 2009, UALR Public Radio