Cohen betting on 2003 lottery

A Tennessee lottery could be in place by this time next year, said its chief architect state Sen. Steve Cohen Tuesday.

The lottery question, which passed a state referendum by more than 58 percent earlier this month, is now in the hands of the General Assembly, which has the discretion on whether to implement it.

The new Lottery Information and Recommendation Committee and the Education Lottery Task Force met for the first time Tuesday. The education task force is made up of educators from across the state who will study the matter in detail and make recommendations to the information committee.

Cohen says he has no doubt most lawmakers will support the lottery.

However, the debate now lies in discretion given to legislators, under the constitutional amendment, as to how the lottery be set up.

The amendment to the constitution allows that net revenues generated by the lottery go first to college scholarships, and that