Last week, the State House of Representatives voted to non-concur on State Senate changes to the gambling bill the House had passed last month, the latest in a series of volleys between the two chambers over the issue.
When the Senate received the House version, the bill was met with apprehension by most of the senators.
During an appearance on Wednesday's broadcast of Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show," House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) said he was "surprised" by the initial reaction to his chamber's gambling effort.
According to the DeKalb County Republican, the State Senate was present from the early stages of the bill's work, including the initial "ad hoc" committee phase.
"[W]e had senators on the committee," he said. "[Greg] Albritton and Randy Price were on the committee from the get-go. The Senate was involved from day one. They were involved. The Governor's people were involved. The House was involved. So they worked as a tandem. That's not correct to say they weren't involved because they were. Now, how much did they communicate to their colleagues? Jeff, I don't know. I can't day that because it sounds like not as much as they probably should have."
Still, based on that involvement, Ledbetter said he anticipated a different reaction from the Alabama Senate.
"I was a little bit surprised," Ledbetter said. "I was, and I would be dishonest if I told you I wasn't because there had been more communication. And I know the pro-tem and I had talked about it from day one. I mean, we knew what was going to go on in both chambers. You know, the biggest thing to killing a bill I've seen since my tenure here is lack of communication."
"[I] thought with the Senate being involved, that's what they had done," he added. "I mean, I really did. And so, I really didn't understand the process of waiting as long. I was hoping it would either vore up or vote down."
Jeff Poor is the editor in chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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