MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Lottery legislation moves to a House of Representatives committee where it faces a ticking clock if lawmakers want to get the proposal before voters on the Nov. 8 election.
The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee will hold a public hearing Tuesday afternoon on the Senate-passed proposal to establish a state lottery.
Sen. Jim McClendon, the bill’s sponsor, said he hopes the committee will quickly approve the bill so it can get a House vote Wednesday. Lawmakers must give final approval to the legislation by the end of Wednesday to put the lottery on the Nov. 8 ballot.
“Let the people decide if they want a lottery in Alabama,” said McClendon, R-Springville.
Gov. Robert Bentley is seeking the first statewide vote on a lottery since 1999, when voters rejected a lottery proposed by then-Gov. Don Siegelman to fund education. Alabama is one of six states – along with Mississippi, Utah, Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada – without a state lottery.