Legislative Update: What’s next?

April 30, 2008

Lance Griffin/Dothan Eagle

The recent break of the Senate filibuster regarding a Macon County gaming bill effectively signals an end to the current potential legislative challenges to Country Crossing’s electronic bingo. Although a House version of the Macon County bill is still alive, the chances of it coming up for a vote are extremely remote, and, with just four legislative days remaining before the end of the session, it appears no new gambling legislation will be passed.

The Macon County bill and a similar bill involving Greene County could have provided a legal challenge to the proposed electronic bingo center at Country Crossing. Some in legislative circles said the bills were strictly local in nature and would have no affect on other counties. Others, however, said language in the bill could make electronic bingo illegal in other places where the machines do not already exist.

Gov. Bob Riley may call the legislature into a special session during the summer. If he makes gaming one of the official subjects of the special session, then gaming bills can be introduced, but would still need a supermajority to be passed and placed on the ballot for a vote of the people. If gaming is not an official subject for the session, then gaming-related bills would need a 2/3 majority vote of the Legislature just to be introduced.

North Alabama town sues Sheriff over bingo

April 23, 2008

Lance Griffin/Dothan Eagle

The Birmingham News reports in a story today that the small north Alabama town of Triana has sued its sheriff following raids on two electronic bingo halls that led to them being shut down. The residents claim lost tax revenue from bingo is making it difficult for the town to survive financially.

The story is only loosely connected to Country Crossing in that it is simply another state story about electronic bingo. Meanwhile, an electronic bingo bill related to Macon County and Victoryland continues to clog the Alabama Senate. A philibuster is expected to continue tomorrow.

Click here for the Birmingham News story.

The Legislature and Bingo

April 17, 2008

Lance Griffin/Dothan Eagle

Last week I called and left messages with almost all of the members of the Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee to get their thoughts on the bingo bill that had been introduced by Sen. Harri Anne Smith. I followed up with e-mails to the committee members whose addresses were on the State Legislature Web site.

None of them responded to either the phone calls or the e-mails, except one. Sen. Charles Bishop called a few days later and talked about electronic bingo in Walker County. Of course the bingo bill has been pulled now, but Bishop’s take was interesting. I’m working on a story for early next week. Bishop told me that he believes those who support the bingo center at Country Crossing won’t be supporting it 2 years from now based on his experience. I told him that what the County Commission said it wants to do is to prevent the widespread proliferation of electronic bingo machines that invaded his county. He sees it differently.

Check back for more on my conversation with Sen. Bishop

House Bingo bill rises from the dead, killed again

April 16, 2008

Lance Griffin/Dothan Eagle

After a motion for reconsideration, HB577 (Rep. Marcel Black’s racetrack bingo bill) received 57 yea votes in a procedural vote, three short of the 60 needed to move the bill forward, so HB577 has been killed again. It does not appear the bill can be brought up again for reconsideration.

Bingo at Country Crossing clears another legislative hurdle

Lance Griffin/Dothan Eagle

A House bill that could have limited electronic bingo to four existing race tracks in Alabama was killed today. HB577, sponsored by Rep. Marcel Black, would have allowed electronic bingo at race tracks in Mobile and Birmingham along with its current operations in Green County and Macon County. It would have effectively outlawed it everywhere else (except on federally protected Indian land).

The bill failed on a procedural vote, the Budget Isolation Resolution, yielding 55 yea votes and 39 nay votes. 60 yea votes were needed to move the bill forward.

The Senate is expected to debate another gambling bill later today.