MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama senators could vote on a lottery bill this week as lawmakers try to get the issue of gambling — with or without casinos — before state voters for the first time since 1999.
Republican Sen. Jim McClendon of Springville said he hopes to get a Senate vote on his bill that would authorize a lottery where tickets could be sold at stores, kiosks and through a phone app.
The Senate Tourism Committee approved the bill last month, but it has yet to get a floor vote as negotiations continue over whether to include casinos. Earlier this session, a proposal to start a state lottery and up to 10 casinos failed by two votes in the Alabama Senate.
“The lottery is not dead by any means,” McClendon said in a brief telephone interview. The Republican senator said he would meet with McClendon and other lawmakers Tuesday morning about the bill.
McClendon said his intention is “to take a vote on a straightforward lottery bill” that does not include casino gambling and see how much support that has. McClendon said he believes voters, at least in his district, are more interested in a lottery than casinos.