Well, kind of. The editorial board rightly criticizes the latest effort to increase lottery payouts, but finds nothing else wrong in the spend and tax spree that may pass in a first-ever Sunday House vote.
Bigger lottery prizes would mean less money per ticket going to schools, but if the state sells enough new tickets schools will get more money. Gov. Easley seems to think that the 35% tax rate on lottery tickets is too high, putting it on the wrong side of the Laffer Curve. Unfortunately, the lottery tax rate is the only one cut in the budget, although the temporary top income tax rate finally lives up to its name and will expire just five years behind schedule.
