A sweeping measure that would allow voters to decide whether to create a lottery and bring legal casino-style gambling to Alabama won House committee approval Tuesday, setting up a major decision for the chamber in the last days of the session.
But the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee s approval of the amendment, SB 319, came after an hourlong public hearing dominated by opponents of the measure, including a former Alabama governor, who raised concerns about the bill s structure and its impact on excluded facilities in Greene and Lowndes counties. You’re putting us in a hole, you’re burying us, and I think that is not fair, said Rep. Kelvin Lawrence, D-Hayneville, whose district includes Lowndes County.
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The gambling bill passed the Senate. But now it s got to beat the House.
The Alabama Senate late Tuesday approved what started as a constitutional amendment to allow a lottery but transformed into legislation that would also establish casino-style gambling at six locations in state, allow sports wagering and direct the governor to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. We have done a monumental job in overcoming something that s been haunting this body for as long as I ve been here, Sen. Jim McClendon, R-Springville, the bill s sponsor, said after the vote.
McClendon also called the bill one of the strangest pieces of legislation I ve ever dealt with, perhaps in part because it was possessed by the spirit of legislation the Senate killed in March. As passed, the McClendon bill was a reborn version of SB 214, sponsored by Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, that the chamber narrowly defeated on March 9.
Alabama Senate approves comprehensive gaming bill, but not without some weirdness
The once-dead gaming bill was brought back to life Tuesday, and it passed the same Senate where it had previously failed. Author: Josh Moon (alreporter.com) Updated: 4:19 PM CDT April 14, 2021
MONTGOMERY, Ala. Alabama voters moved one step closer Tuesday to finally being allowed to vote on legalizing a statewide lottery, casino gaming and sports wagering. But because it’s gambling legislation in Alabama, nothing was easy and everything was weird.
The Alabama Senate approved a comprehensive gaming bill that would see the state grant licenses for facilities at nine locations around Alabama, approve a statewide lottery and legalize sports wagering at the nine facilities and online. It also authorizes Gov. Kay Ivey to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The bill passed 23-9.
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