Following the Alabama Senate's failed vote on a conference committee deal on a comprehensive gambling bill, some House members have publicly expressed frustration with their colleagues in the upper chamber.
State Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman), one of the conferees during the gambling saga, has said he was optimistic that the legislature could tackle gambling next year.
However, he acknowledged some of the fallout over this year's gambling bill collapse could linger into 2025.
"You know, I would hope to be optimistic to say yes, but there are people, and that's just life, that holds grudges," Gudger said during an interview with Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show." "And when someone says something negative about them or their colleagues, they remember it. They know the Senate does, too. And so politics is a place where, most of the time, that is not forgotten easily. And so I would say that that is going to be lingering for a little while. Yes, I'm being optimistic, and I try not to hold grudges and don't really like holding grudges because I think it just hurts me more than the other person."
"I like to forget about it and move on," he continued. "What are we going to do that is right for the state of Alabama? And I think a lot of my colleagues have that same mentality, but there are a few that are going to hang on to those words that people said against the Senate and the ones in the Senate that said something against the House. And that's not the way we need to handle business."
"And so, the way I look at it is I hope we can all come together and do what's right for the state of Alabama and move forward," he added. "But again, that's going to be determined by the time we get there."
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.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
