House Bill 1002, the lottery bill, was assigned to the House Rules committee by Speaker Robbie Wills.

The bill has been assigned to the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs committee in the State Senate.  That committee is chaired by Sen. Steve Faris, a powerful ally of Senate President Bob Johnson.

The House Rules committee is one of a handful of committees hand-selected by Speaker Wills.  In short, this means that Wills’ appointees will be in command of the debate on the lottery proposal, including newly-minted chairman Rep. Robert Moore, who is also seeking to succeed Wills as speaker in the next session.

The Rules committee promises to be a busy one in the House.  When the cigarette tax hike proposed by Governor Mike Beebe and supported by Speaker Wills is assigned, it too will move to the agenda of the House Rules committee for consideration, as tobacco-related legislation has traditionally parked there.