Is Mississippi ready to gamble with its future?

The Legislature will decide, but maybe it’s time to give the matter serious thought.

Forty-three states and Washington, D.C., currently have state lotteries, and more than 20 of those states earmark lottery profits for education.

Sen. Kelvin Butler, D-Magnolia, wants a state lottery on the table again in Mississippi.

Though plenty of states report receiving less-than-expected revenue from a lottery, some is usually better than none when it comes to money.

Butler’s plan proposes using the lottery money to fund college tuition for all Mississippi students who graduate from high school with a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Specifically earmarking these funds is a smart idea. Giving the money directly to top students who seek to further their educations may have a more immediate impact than simply padding the general education fund slightly.

Education is our future, but funding for education has been hard to come by in Mississippi for years.

We don’t like the idea of encouraging gambling, but if we don’t find new revenues for our students, aren’t we gambling anyway?