Alabama Lottery and Gambling Bills to Return

Bills to bring back state lotteries and other gambling are set to be passed in Alabama next year. Whether or not the bills will receive bipartisan support is yet to be seen.

It goes without saying that gambling and state controlled lotteries are often ways to increase government income. Alabama is in need of income as of now, but people may not be comfortable with higher taxes. One good way to solve this issue will be to re introduce legal gambling. House minority leader Craig Ford pre- filed two bills that will make a four bill legislature for the coming year to be discussed in the House.

The funds that the lottery will bring in will be used to fund a scholarship for students taking two or four year courses in colleges across the state. Another proposal involves the legalization of gambling and taxing them, especially in counties where dog- track racing is legal. The proposals have been brought up to the legislature repeatedly over the last two years. The issue with the state which is starved for funds is that legalizing casinos may bring a lot more competition to the native American Poarch Band of Creek Indians who are already allowed to run casinos in their tribal reservations.

Another reason for the bill never getting passed is that there has always been disagreements over specific parts of the proposals. The democrats want the lottery money to go to education and the republicans want the money to go to a general fund. The fund will go toward non educational programs that include the cash strapped prison board and medicaid. The disagreements are between those who actually want the lottery bill to be passed. There is an entire group of politicians who vehemently oppose the lottery and gambling based on their social conservative approach to governance. Such politicians are present in both camps. The debate is so strong between these three factions that even a special session called by the Governor earlier this year to discuss the bill yielded no results.

Ford feels that one way to make a final decision will be to issue a referendum and let the people decide, similar to the way New Jersey is handling a similar issue.