Lottery funds good choice for State Fair

It's still in the talking stage, but we like the way the Nebraska Legislature is going about an attempt to save the Nebraska State Fair.

If you haven't heard, what the lawmakers are discussing is Legislative Resolution 209CA, which would ask voters to consider a constitutional amendment giving the State Fair 10 percent of future lottery proceeds.

That's a good plan for several reasons. First, it puts the State Fair's fate in the hands of the people. That's as it should be. It is the people, ultimately, who pay the bills, and they should have the final say on whether the fair continues.

Second, the plan does not dip into the state's general fund to bail out the State Fair, but instead relies on a people's choice program -- the lottery -- as a source for funds.

We also like the fact that the Legislature's resolution would provide a constitutional guarantee that lottery funding would continue for the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the Nebraska Education Innovation Fund, the Nebraska Scholarship Fund and the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund.

If Legislative Resolution 209CA is approved by the legislature, and if the constitutional amendment goes before the voters and is passed, close to $2 million a year would be generated for the fair. That would virtually guarantee the fair's continued existence, since the funding shortfall for this year's fair, as an example, is projected to be far less, perhaps as low as $300,000.

Still, the added lottery funding could be put to good use, as the fair's master plan calls for more than $33 million in improvements for State Fair facilities.

According to an article by Leslie Reed in this morning's Omaha World-Herald, there are both pros and cons among lawmakers about the lottery proposal.

State Sen. David Landis, the sponsor of the resolution, says the proposal would give Nebraskans a chance to vote on whether they want to continue the State Fair.

On the other hand, State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha is opposed to the plan because it mandates lottery distributions. In his opinion, the State Fair should sink or swim based on whether or not it earns public support.

But, it should be pointed out, the resolution does not force funding for the fair. What it does, instead, is give the people a chance, in the voting booth, to decide whether or not one-tenth of the lottery funds should be used to support the State Fair.

We like that. Put the matter in the people's hands. Let them decide whether or not lottery funds should be used to provide fair funding. This could be the fair's last hope for survival, as general fund help is out of the question in these tough financial times.