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President Donald Trump speaks on law and order at the Department of Justice.
by Kylon Williams
A new bill is set to come across the desk of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders's desk after being passed by the Senate on Wednesday with a 25-3 vote, with four members voting present and three not voting. It passed in the House with a 79-7, with four members voting present. (PHOTO: KATV)
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — A new bill is set to come across the desk of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders's desk after being passed by the Senate on Wednesday with a 25-3 vote.
If signed, House Bill 1634, introduced just two weeks ago, will allow universities in the state of Arkansas to host sports raffles to fund NIL collectives and other athletic department needs.
The proposed act is as follows:
"An act to amend the law regarding raffles; to provide that the charitable bingo and raffles enabling act does not regulate certain raffles conducted by institutions of higher education or affiliated nonprofit organizations; to establish the Arkansas Sports Raffle Act; to amend the law regarding alcoholic beverages to add the Arkansas Sports Raffle Act as an exception to various prohibited practices; to declare an emergency; and for other purposes."
This bill will create the Arkansas Sports Raffle Act, which will generate another source of revenue for schools to fund their athletic scholarships, general athletic revenue, and construction maintenance for their facilities, and in turn, hopefully, attract more student-athletes.
With the passing of the bill, universities will be authorized to conduct raffles to raise money for the institution.
The bill also has an emergency clause, which means if passed baseball can start utilizing raffles during the 2025 season.
As Arkansas institutions begin to utilize raffles, they hope to attract more student-athletes, which in turn will bolster the economy, education, and commerce of the state of Arkansas.
Arkansas schools are falling behind other schools when it comes to recruitment, as they cannot compete fully with the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals that other institutions may be able to offer.
However, with the ability to gain extra revenue through raffles, they will have a better chance at offering the NIL deals to those prospective athletes who can come in and change their program.
NIL has become a big part of the recruitment of athletes to college programs, as brands are offering large amounts of money for students to represent them.
Rep. RJ Hawk of Bryant is the lead sponsor on the bill, while Rep. Matthew J. Shepard of El Dorado, Rep. Jon S. Eubanks of Paris, Rep. Brian S. Evans of Cabot, Rep. Matt Duffield of Russellville, Rep. Brandon Achor of Maumelle, Rep. Keith Brooks of Little Rock, Rep. John Maddox of Mena, Rep. David Ray of Maumelle, Rep. Lee Johnson of Greenwood, Senator Bart Hester of Cave Springs, Senator Justin Boyd of Fort Smith, and Senator Matt McKee of Pearcy are all co-sponsors.
The full bill can be read below:
