MONTGOMERY — Movement on gambling legislation has stalled in the first week of the second half of the 2024 legislative session.
The constitutional amendment, HB 151, passed in the Senate on March 8 with one vote to spare over the necessary 21-vote threshold by a margin of 22-11. Accompanying enabling legislation, HB 152 passed by the same margin. State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) carried both bills in the Senate.
The substitute amendments under the amended Senate plan include a statewide lottery and a requirement that the governor negotiate a gambling compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PCI). Sports betting, online gambling or other non-PCI new casinos aren't included in the Senate's amendment like the House's version.
The constitutional amendment would be voted on in the Senate plan on September 10 in a special election. The House version was estimated to raise annual revenue to the state by around $900 million. The Senate version is estimated to raise around $300 million annually.
"It hasn't been taken out of the basket down there, has it? That may be indicative of the difficulties that this fine piece of legislation faces," State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) told reporters on Thursday. "The House sent us up a comprehensive package that covered a great deal. The Senate sent to them a much-reduced package and with very specific instructions about potential changes. That appears to have had a chilling effect on advancement."
Albritton said, "There seems to be no taste (in the Senate) for the traditional Class III gaming."
"We still have the time and we still have the need. The flexibility may be the determining factor on whether we accomplish something this year between the House and Senate and trying to put together the package that's doable, that's acceptable," Albritton said.
House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) told 1819 News on Thursday, "We're working to find a path forward that shuts down illegal facilities and positions Alabamians to vote on this issue for the first time in 25 years."
Any new compromise legislation that included sports betting or additional Class III gaming would likely face an uphill battle in the Senate since its scaled-back version only passed with one vote to spare above the 60 percent threshold for constitutional amendments.
"I think the House did a lot of work. They sent us something. The Senate didn't necessarily agree with all the elements. Obviously, we went through an exhaustive process and that has gone back to the House. I'm very proud of what we did in the Senate. I think we changed it in several ways as you all are aware. We minimized the casino opportunity and eliminated the sports betting which were topics that were non-starters in the Senate body," State Senate Pro-Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) said.
"Now, it's back to the House. I've had some conversations with those in the House. They're trying to go through a process to assess exactly what the changes are. We took their bill. There's many things about the actual constitutional amendment and the enabling legislation that are the same but there are things that are different. They're trying to go through and analyze that. I think they wanted to take some time to do that and I welcome that. I think that's important for them to take their time. We will see what the definitions are going to be moving forward once we get back after the break."
Reed continued, "(Senators) were very pleased with a lot of things that came from the House bill. At the same time, there were some things that you saw that changed. Issues related to sports betting, related to casino growth, the idea of the (election) date that was changed."
The House could concur and accept the Senate's changes, non-concur and head to a conference committee to try to iron out compromise legislation or let the amended legislation die without action.
"It's in the House, it's still in the basket. The Speaker hasn't taken it out of the basket. I'm hoping that it does go to conference to where we can go where I think the sausage can be made. I think it still has an opportunity to come out with something. I haven't given up on it just yet," Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) said.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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