All four of the lottery bills working their way through the Alabama legislature failed to go the distance this session. Not one passed out of its original chamber.
In the House, Speaker Mac McCutcheon previously said he wouldn’t bring the measures to the floor unless they had the votes to pass. State Senator Greg Albritton said since the bills were withdrawn from the House, the Senate declined to pass the legislation and then have it fail. Frustrated, Albritton said, “I have not gotten any responses, adequate responses, other than they just don’t want to deal with it.” Albritton said he’ll finish out the session and consider re-introducing the legislation again in the next session.
Joe Godfrey, president at the Alabama Citizen’s Action Program, said, “Great news to report. It appears that all gambling expansion bills are dead for this legislative session. Thank you for your prayers and for contacting your legislators concerning this issue.”
Albritton commented religious and conservative groups “should not stop the legislature from doing its duty in gaining control of this industry and regulating it.” Gaming tax revenue would have been directed to education.
