Lottery ticket relieves veterans

By Alex Geiser | Daily Texan | Staff | Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Rep. Chris Turner and State Sen. Leticia Van De Putte at the unveiling of the new Veterans Cash Texas Lottery scratch-off ticket. The new lotto ticket is a product of a bill authored by Van De Putte and Rep. Chris Turner during the 81st Legislative Session and will benefit the Permanent Fund for Veterans’ Assistance.

A new $2 scratch-off lottery ticket, Veterans Cash, emblazoned with the head of an eagle, will provide funding to meet the immediate needs of veterans and their families in Texas.

State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, state Rep. Chris Turner, D -Arlington, and veterans ’ leaders came together Monday morning to unveil the scratch -off tickets, available for purchase beginning Nov. 9.

A portion of the revenue will go to the Texas Veterans Commission’s Fund for Veterans’ Assistance, created by the state Legislature in 2007.

The veterans commission provides claims assistance and helps obtain employment and education for veterans.

“Veterans have a lot of unique needs as a result of service, ” Turner said in reference to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Our hope is that the funds that are generated because of this new lotto game will help to address some of those needs.”

Turner, who authored the bill creating the tickets, said they are meant to establish long-term funding for assisting veterans.

Tina Carnes, general counsel at the Texas Veterans Commission, said this is the first time they have received help in offering immediate aid to veterans not currently covered by their program.

Of the revenue brought in by the lottery, 23 percent will go toward the permanent fund. The rest will go toward prizes, retailers and administration. Prize amounts will range from $2 to $20,000. Payouts to veterans from the permanent fund will help pay for food, family counseling and grief counseling for veterans and their families.

Bobby Heith, spokesman for the Texas Lottery Commission, said over 8 million Veterans Cash tickets will be produced, but only 50 to 60 will be on the market at one time, to prevent market saturation.

The Legislative Budget Board expects the tickets to bring in around $8 million dollars during the first full year of circulation, according to a press release.

Texas is not the first state to use the lottery to provide funding for veterans. Kent Hartwig, executive officer at the Iowa Department of Veteran Affairs, said the state has been putting revenue from lottery sales in the Veterans ’ Trust Fund since 2008. He said the fund expected $2.5 to $3 million in revenues the first year, and received $2.78 million.

“The money goes into a big pot of money, and we can only spend the interest accrued, ” Hartwig said. “The intent is to get the trust fund principle balance to $50 million. We are trying to grow it to a point where the money it generates is enough to sustain veterans. ”

Like in Texas, these funds are strictly for veterans and their families.