Tenn. legislator no longer pursuing national lottery

Posted: 2/7/2007 12:09:01 PM

Idea had no support from House Democrat leaders

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., said Tuesday that he has abandoned the idea of sponsoring a bill to create a national lottery, saying it had little support from his party leaders, and would take money from the hands of Tennesseans.

Cohen suggested just after his November election that he might pursue the idea after his lengthy and ultimately successful effort to get a Tennessee Lottery signed into law. But his first discussions with House Democrat leaders evinced little enthusiasm for the idea, he said.

"I decided I'd be competing against myself," he said. "If we had a national lottery, it would just take money from the Tennessee Lottery and that would take money away from scholarships and away from pre-kindergarten and away from education in Tennessee.

"Why compete with my own baby?"

Source: Commercial Appeal