Going Private

The New York Times reports that Illinois has begun the process of selling its state lottery system, a new wrinkle in an emerging trend of privatizing components of state (and sometimes local) government.

The article notes that Indiana recently privatized toll roads, and is also considering shedding its lottery. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are considering a similar route for their turnpikes.

West Virginia lawmakers have weighed privatizing its turnpike as they grapple with the future of its governing authority and that agency's money-losing Tamarack center.

Interestingly, Senate Minority Leader Don Caruth, R-Mercer, opposes privatizing the turnpike. He recently declared that a worse idea than keeping its tolls.

Lawmakers and the Division of Highways, however, both appear willing to embrace allowing private companies to run tolls on new roads to recoup their building costs under public-private agreements.