Here is the Cronkite News Service lineup for Wednesday, Dec. 9. As the week progresses, this digest lists spot news, stories offered for use throughout the week and features suggested for weekend use. If you have questions or would like to receive the daily news digest by e-mail, please contact Steve Elliott at 602-496-0686 or steve.elliott@asu.edu. You can monitor Cronkite News Service via Twitter (@cronkitenews) and a Web feed optimized for iPhone (http://cronkitenews.jmc.asu.edu/mobile). Cronkite News Service video is available at http://cronkitenews.jmc.asu.edu/video, and clients are welcome to link to or embed individual videos on that site. In addition, clients may download the QuickTime movie file for their players here with a free Vimeo account.
WEEKEND SPECIALS
Lottery big part of state’s financial plans, but first voters must decide whether to keep it
PHOENIX _ While other contributors to state revenues have dropped off severely of late, the Arizona Lottery has been a growing source of tens of millions of dollars per year since its inception in 1980. Its revenue has been so reliable that one proposal for plugging the gaping hole in the state budget involves borrowing against lottery proceeds. Called lottery securitization, that plan calls for the state to take out a loan and pay it back with annual lottery profits transferred into the state’s general fund. But while the lottery’s revenue and growth have been certainties, its future isn’t assured. By law, the lottery must be reauthorized periodically, and the current authorization is scheduled to expire July 1, 2012. Borrowing against the lottery’s anticipated revenues isn’t likely until its future is certain.
Slug BC-CNS-Lottery Vote. By Alexander MacLean. With BC-CNS-Lottery Vote-Box.
File photo available (thumbnail, caption below)
Some Previous Weekend Specials:
- Before death brought immortality, USS Arizona’s life included movie role, even scandal (Dec 4)
- Doctor offers mobile medicine to homeless youth: ‘I have the best job in the world’ (Nov. 25)
- Yuma partnership could foreshadow similar arrangements to keep state parks open (Nov. 19)
- Tucson lawmaker: Career as artist provides flexibility and perspective for work at Capitol (Nov. 10)
- History project has high school students recording veterans’ stories (Nov. 4)
TODAY’S NEWS
Nurses group demonstrates for law capping patient ratios
PHOENIX (Tuesday, Dec. 8) _ Hospital care suffers because overworked nurses are assigned too many patients and are unable to voice their concerns out of fear of reprisals from administrators, members of a nurses union said Tuesday.
Slug BC-CNS-Nurses Rally. By Iain Woessner.
Photo available (thumbnail, caption below)
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PHOTOS: Click thumbnails to see full-resolution images.
LOTTERY VOTE
The Arizona Lottery’s authorization from voters expires July 1, 2012, and Executive Director Jeff Hatch-Miller said he and other supporters say they are acting now to have voters approve an extension, in part, because the state has such a stake in its reliable and growing revenues. Hatch-Miller expects reauthorization for the lottery to be on the 2010 general election ballot. (Cronkite News Service Photo by Alexander MacLean)
NURSES PROTEST
Leslie Curtis from Chicago leads nurses in chants during a demonstration Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009, outside the headquarters of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, a group that advocates for hospitals and health care systems. The nurses urged the association to support legislation in Congress that would, among other things, set nurse-to-patient ratios. (Cronkite News Service Photo by Iain Woessner)