Congressman Cohen Highlights Lottery's Benefits for Tennessee Students After Record Powerball Jackpot

Statement

After a winning ticket was sold in Munford, TN for the record nearly $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today emphasized the benefits for Tennessee's students provided by the Tennessee Education Lottery. Throughout his legislative career, Congressman Cohen has been a strong advocate for making college more affordable and is the father of the Tennessee Lottery. The Congressman fought for many years as a Tennessee State Senator to overcome stiff opposition to create the Tennessee Lottery with revenue dedicated to college scholarships, K-12 capital outlay and pre-K programs, and the Tennessee Education Lottery has produced more than $3.5 billion for those programs since 2004.

"I was pleased one of three Powerball winners was not only from Tennessee but from the greater Memphis area," said Congressman Cohen. "As a result of this unprecedented lottery jackpot, Tennessee students will benefit from record lottery ticket sales in the state. Every lottery ticket purchased in Tennessee directly helps students and their families attend colleges and technical schools. I am proud of my decades of work as a State Senator to create the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program, which has now provided more than $3.5 billion for education programs. As college costs skyrocket and college degrees become more important, it is critical that we do everything we can to keep college affordable for hard-working students and families."

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