Attorney General pushes for statewide vote on electronic gambling
Attorney General Troy King said Wednesday that he retains authority over a special gambling task force appointed last week by Gov. Bob Riley, and said the best way to resolve the debate over electronic gaming is to put the issue to a statewide vote.
King spoke about the issue Wednesday in Dothan. He plans to make the gaming vote part of his legislative package for the upcoming legislative session, which begins next month.
King said he believes state law empowers county commissions to issue special bingo permits in those counties that have previously voted to allow charitable bingo. But, he said confusing legal language has made it difficult to apply the law.
Last week, Gov. Bob Riley appeared to sidestep King by appointing a special task force — led by former Jefferson County District Attorney David Barber — to investigate illegal gambling in Alabama.
King said he was not consulted about the governor’s appointment of the task force. He also said he would not provide an assistant attorney general to help with the task force.
“No permission has been sought or given,” King said.
He also said he retains the right to oversee the task force’s operations.
“I retain the ability to superintend or take away any case brought in this state,“ King said.
Todd Stacy, spokesperson for Gov. Riley, said he and King have a “fundamental disagreement” on the issue.
“It’s clear that the law is not being uniformly enforced in this state,” Stacy said. “That’s why Governor Riley has called upon David Barber to do what he did in Birmingham as district attorney — shut down illegal gambling wherever it exists.”
Stacy also said it would not be fair to comment on future task force actions.
“By executive order, the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling was given statewide jurisdiction to investigate gambling operations and shut down unlawful activity. So far, the task force hasn’t brought any charges or opened a case, so any talk about what may or may not happen is purely speculative.”
King said a statewide yes-or-no vote would remove confusion on the issue. He said he remains personally opposed to gambling in Alabama, but said state law allows for electronic gaming — in some forms and in some places.
“As Attorney General, I have given up the right to enforce my will. I have to enforce the laws as they are written. My opinion is that the Houston County Commission (in awarding a special bingo permit for electronic bingo at Country Crossing) exercised the legal authority given to them by the Constitution of this state.”
State Sen. Harri Anne Smith, R-Slocomb, said she would support a statewide vote if the vote resulted in clearing up the issue. She said the language of the proposed amendment would need to be worded carefully to guard against loose interpretation.
King has issued two legal opinions regarding electronic bingo at the Country Crossing development in south Houston County. Both opinions indicated electronic bingo — as it is proposed to be operated — would be legal at the development.
“I believe the opinion was correct as I tendered it then and it is correct as I stand here today,” King said.
Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver said he welcomed King’s statement.
“What (King) said is what we’ve been saying the whole time,” Culver said. “We believed from the beginning we were operating within the law and never would have tried to do something that wasn’t.”
Stacy, however, said neither of King’s opinions define bingo or rule on the proposed machines that would be operating at Country Crossing.
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Oh I think Mr. Troy King is in the Gilley pocket of friends (Like Harri Anne Smith)or he’s just a very poor lawyer at interpreting the law.
See: http://www.politicalparlor.net/index.php?s=king+gilley
It says card..hard to strech a card to a video screen bud… It also has a ton of other restrictions..you can read em yourself..herehttp://parca.samford.edu/pdfs/1995_420.pdf
Restrictions like… one bingo session per week, and only five hours.. No Bingo on Sundays…ect
When it goes to court..and it willl…
I’ll say stick a fork in it, cause it’s done
I beg your pardon harobrown, but Etowah County’s legislation strictly says paper bingo where ours does not specify paper bingo, but I do wish you all the best of luck up there in your neck of the woods. Oh ya, Country Crossing is not a Bingo development as you state. It is a Musical Entertainment development with a very small part of it being the Bingo. Thank you and have a nice day. 
Here is your perfect chance to get all your facts straight! It seems many of you are very confused.
SATURDAY JAN. 10, 2009 at RIP HEWES STADUIM, DOTHAN, AL.
Gates open at 2:30 event starts at 3:00PM
THE RALLY FOR COUNTRY CROSSING
This program will include all of what COUNTRY CROSSING is planned to be, how it is planned to be accomplished and the benefits of the Entertainment Complex to the entire area.
This includes a rally with a full blown concert including GEORGE JONES, TRAVIS TRITT AND JAMIE FOXX. And More!
This event is FREE to all that want to learn about the project and to all that choose to support the project. Please come to learn for yourself the impact of this great project to the entire community and state.
quote:
Originally posted by CSolo40:
Hello, I’m from the Houston County area and a member of WiregrassLive.com and as you may know we have a huge Entertainment development being built that has the electronic bingo element to it, Country Crossing. Developer Ronnie Gilley is having a huge rally possibly on the 24th and the members of WiregrassLive are planning a statewide peaceful protest on the Capital steps the week after the rally. I was told that Gov. Rileys task force affects Gadsden as well, correct me if I heard wrong please. Anyway, we would like to invite anyone that would like to, to band together with us for this protest if you’re sick of the way this state is and has been for years..behind in everything and the laughing stock of the nation. We are very active on WiregrassLive and have a few threads up about the rally, protest etc. so please spread the word if you’re tired of our state government holding us back. You can lurk and read or join which is also free at WGL. Thanks…I’m CSolo40 on WGL.
Hello, I am from Etowah County and I am not supporting your Bingo Development until Ronnie calls off his “lynch man” Troy “the Boy” King form attacking our development. You see, Mr. King wants to “lock up Etowah people” but he gives the green light to Houston’s project. But, Houston we have a problem! You see, if it’s not legal in Etowah it’s not legal in Houston. Etowah County has Amendment 506 legalizing Bingo in the county, Houston has Amendment 569 doing the same. Both amendments are basically the same fundamentally, our amendment provides that the Amendment is self executing, meaning it needs no “enabling legislation” Your Amendment has enabling legislation in Act. 95-420. Well here’s the problem Houston, the enabling legislation Act-95-420 Section (1)a defines the game of Bingo as numbers or symbols on a card! (Card as in paper card). Mr. King has threaten to lock up Etowah Co. people because we have a supplemental local act that defines bingo as being played on a card. So why is it legal in Houston and not in Etowah? Maybe because Mr. Gilley and Troy are BFF (that Best Friends Forever for those not savvy in net language). This is the reason the Governor has stepped in to control the bizarre behavior of our Attorney General. Rest assured, the people in Etowah County are not going to stand by and see our economic opportunity slip away because of politics! So no I am not supportive of your project, I
Well isn’t this odd…This is the total opposite of what he is saying in Etowah County. Threatening to lock people up..ect. This is the reason the Governor has to be involved in this double talk from the AG. He is a whack job! Can’t be legal in one county and illegal in another. Mr. King might want to check out the enabling Act. 95-420 passed in 1995 for bingo in Houston county. It clearly defines bingo as being played on CARDS, limits days and hours of operations, ect… I know he’s from that area and is playing on his friendship with Gilley, but the courts will have the final say so on this issue..not this whack job!
Thank you AG Troy King for the clarification of the law…that houston county voted for in the 90’s will not have problem if they push for another vote but that will be a waste of tax payer money in this economic times.
makitaman…your thought process is surpassed, only, by your spelling. Shouldn’t you be at Wednesday night prayer service?
Hey why your at it can we vote for a state lottery ? No wait that want work that would put to much control on the funds. Yeah lets vote on gambling this way when it goes thru the real kings of casino gambling can step in.Then people that live 30 to 40 miles from CC can just go to Geneva, Ozark, any place of business that wants their equal opportuniny.Troy King quit trying to butter the bread on both sides, either fight for it or againist it.Quit worrying if your going to make someone mad.You sound like a full blown politician.I’m not sure your the right guy for the job.The Governor spoke strong about this issue, people need someone that will take a stand on a issue one way or another not both.This issue has done been disgust and was shot down, live with it Alabama is not ready for this.
Sounds like the AG is looking out for the people of Houston County, producing jobs and revenue. Troy King for Gov.
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