Walton donates $75,000 to fight lottery
Posted on Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The chairman of Arvest Bank, Jim Walton of Bentonville, contributed $ 75, 000 last month to a group opposing Lt. Gov. Bill Halter’s proposed lottery amendment.
The contribution to Family Council Action Committee “came in the mail, and we were pleasantly surprised,” said the committee president, Jerry Cox.
“Seventy-five thousand dollars is a very generous gift,” Cox said of the donation from Walton, a son of the late Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton.
He said he thanked Walton in a letter after he was unsuccessful trying to reach him by phone.
Walton was unavailable for comment late Monday, his office said.
The committee reported Monday receiving the check on Aug. 12.
On Aug. 4, another committee, Hope for Arkansas, formed by Halter to promote the lottery amendment, reported that investment banker Warren Stephens of Little Rock contributed $ 50, 000 in July to support the campaign for the lottery amendment.
In the Monday report, Family Council Action Committee disclosed contributions totaling $ 75, 050 to boost its total contributions to $ 77, 111. It reported spending $ 1, 042. 51 in August to increase its total expenses to $ 3, 471. 85, leaving it with a cash balance of $ 73, 639. 15.
The committee hasn’t decided whether to file a lawsuit aimed at knocking the lottery proposal off the Nov. 4 ballot, Cox said. But he doesn’t expect to spend much of the $ 75, 000 on a lawsuit if one is filed.
He said the committee plans to conduct a grassroots campaign against the lottery with the help of about 1, 000 churches. Walton’s contribution “at least allows us to do a little bit of media,” largely radio and newspaper ads against the lottery, he said.
A second group opposing the lottery amendment, the Arkansas Committee for Ethics Policy, reported receiving contributions of $ 9, 427 last month, increasing its contributions total to $ 40, 104. 52. The largest was $ 2, 000 from the Northwest Baptist Association of Bentonville. That committee reported spending $ 4, 775. 02 last month to increase its total expenses to $ 10, 845. 05, leaving a cash balance of $ 29, 259. 47.
A third group opposing the lottery, United Methodists Against Gambling, reported contributions of $ 8, 538. 48 and expenses of $ 351. 53 last month. It reported total contributions this campaign of $ 9, 048. 48 and total expenses of $ 544. 42, leaving a cash balance of $ 8, 504. 06. The largest contribution was $ 5, 000 from Jerald M. Barnett Jr. of Little Rock. Earlier this month, Hope for Arkansas reported raising $ 11, 000 in August to increase its contributions total to $ 563, 917. 24. It reported spending $ 8, 913. 18 in August to increase its total expenses to $ 494, 030. 91, leaving it with a balance of $ 69, 886. 33 on Aug. 31.
FOSTER / ADOPTION On another ballot issue, a group opposing a measure to bar unmarried cohabiting couples from adopting or foster parenting reported no contributions last month and expenditures of $ 21, 758. 44 last month.
Arkansas Families First reported its expenses rose to $ 50, 255. 72 from its $ 73, 725 in contributions, leaving a cash balance of $ 23, 469. 28. Its expenses included $ 11, 007. 94 to McDonald Data Services of Plano, Tex, for “petition challenge expense.” Debbie Willhite, lead consultant for Arkansas Families First, said the group probably will make an announcement today whether it plans to file a lawsuit aimed at knocking the Arkansas Family Council’s proposed initiated act off the Nov. 4 ballot.
The Arkansas Family Council Action Committee, which is promoting the adoption-fostering proposal, reported raising $ 10, 495 last month and spending $ 5, 282. 96 to promote this proposal. That boosted its total contributions to $ 65, 408. 73 and total expenses to $ 62, 985. 53, leaving it with a balance of $ 2, 423. 20.
BONDS A group promoting legislation giving the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission authority to issue $ 300 million in taxpayer-backed bonds reported raising $ 16, 025 in August. The bonds would be used to pay for water and sewer projects across the state. The measure asks voters to reauthorize an existing program in place since 1998. The legislation is Act 631 of 2007. It was referred to the ballot by the Legislature because the proposed bonds would be a general obligation of the state, backed by the faith and credit of the state, and state constitutional Amendment 20 prohibits issuing such bonds unless state voters first approve them.
Arkansans for Clean Water reported total contributions of $ 18, 525 and expenses of $ 10, 000, leaving it with a cash balance of $ 8, 825 on Aug. 31.
The largest contributions were $ 10, 000 from the Arkansas Rural Water Association, $ 2, 500 from Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, and $ 1, 000 each from Crist Engineers Inc. of Little Rock and Hawkins-Weir Engineers of Van Buren.
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