House leaders try to break stalemate on casino, lottery bill
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The fate of an Alabama lottery and casino bill remained in limbo on Thursday as the House of Representatives delayed a vote amid a flurry of last-minute negotiations to try to obtain the needed support.
House leaders of both parties met multiple times through the day for negotiations on the bill trying to work out a compromise that could muster the 63 votes needed to pass the 105-member House. The chamber moved on to other bills Thursday night as the discussions continued.
“There's been a lot of work on it. Right now, we are looking at the differences in the House and the Senate, the majority caucus and the minority caucus. They are sitting in there now at the table working through it,” House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said Thursday evening.
McCutcheon said he was unclear if the bill would get to the floor Thursday night. “I don't know. That is the safest answer I can give you right now. I don't know,” McCutcheon said.
The proposed constitutional amendment, which would have to be approved by both lawmakers and state voters, would establish a state lottery to fund college scholarships and nine casinos locations that would be located primarily at existing state dog tracks and sites owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.
The gambling bill faces opposition from a mix of Republicans opposed to legalized gambling and lawmakers arguing the bill picks winners and losers by naming casino locations. Supporters argue Alabama is one of five states without a lottery and it is time to give Alabama voters the opportunity to vote on gambling for the first time in two decades. Alabamians last voted on a state lottery in 1999 when voters rejected a lottery proposed by then-Gov. Don Siegelman.
“It’s time to let the citizens vote again,” said Republican Rep. Chris Blackshear of Phenix City who is handling the Senate-passed bill in the Alabama House.
The proposed constitutional amendment needs 63 votes to pass the 105-member House of Representatives.
“We have been trending in the right direction,” Blackshear said but added there is a degree of uncertainty.
The Alabama Senate last month voted 23-9 for the bill. However, the measure is facing a tough vote and a ticking legislative clock with one day meeting in the session. If approved by lawmakers, the measure would go before voters in November 2022.
The major sticking point, as it has been in previous debates over casino gambling, is which sites would be given an advantage in trying to win a casino license.
The proposal would name the sites for the casinos, but the license would be put up for bid. Casinos and sports betting locations would be at Greenetrack in Greene County, the Crossing at Big Creek in Houston County, the Birmingham Race Course in Jefferson County, VictoryLand in Macon County, the Mobile County Greyhound Racing facility in Mobile County and a sixth site negotiated between the governor and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to be located in DeKalb County or Jackson County, Additionally, it would open up the Poarch Band’s three tribal sites for casino games.
Some opponents argued it is unfair to exclude existing electronic bingo locations in Greene and Lowndes county operating under current constitutional amendments. The state has been a long-running legal battle over the legality of the slot machine-lookalikes.
Rep. Kelvin Lawrence, R-Hayneville, said the proposal as written would close an existing electronic bingo hall in Lowndes County, one of the poorest counties in the state, while allowing a new casino location in north Alabama.
Donald Trump, Jr., the son of former President Donald Trump, wrote a tweet criticizing the Alabama legislation as a “bad bill” and that it would give a monopoly to a small group of casino operators while excluding “world's best gaming operators” from coming to Alabama.
While the former president won over 60% of the vote in Alabama, Blackshear said he did not think the tweet would have a large effect on GOP votes.
“I'm here trying to figure out a way to do what is best for the citizens of Alabama," Blackshear said.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on Wednesday spoke out against arguments from some supporters that the state should make gambling operations legal because state laws against gambling are not being enforced.
“Individuals who make this argument are either ignorant or are purposely trying to mislead legislators. My office has over 30 cases currently pending against gambling operators, some with trial dates set for this summer, and we expect to win them all,” Marshall said in a statement.
