MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Lottery legislation on Wednesday cleared its first hurdle in the Alabama Legislature, a sign of eroding opposition to legalized gambling in the conservative state.
The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee approved a lottery bill on a voice vote after a brief public hearing. Bill sponsor, Rep. Alan Harper, said people in the state constantly tell him they want to end Alabama’s status as one of the few states in the country without a lottery.
“Everywhere I go I hear the question, “When are you going to let us vote?” Harper, R-Northport, said.
Bills by Harper and Sen Jim McClendon, R-Springville, would put the idea of creating a state lottery before state voters in November. The proposal would leave legislators to decide many of the details later, including how the proceeds would be used.
The committee approval comes as lottery legislation gets its first serious debate in the Alabama Legislature in 17 years. State voters in 1999 rejected a lottery proposed by then-Gov. Don Siegelman. Democrats, in the years since, have introduced lottery legislation without success. Opposition among Republican lawmakers to gambling has dwindled as neighboring states have approved lotteries and state lawmakers regularly struggle to put together budgets without new revenue.