Live blogging Alabama Senate debate on electronic bingo

6:29 -- Senate votes in favor of bingo bill offered by Sen. Roger Bedford.

6:18 -- Clerk reading full bingo bill before vote

5:57 p.m. -- Rev. Tom Anderson of the Concerned Citizens of the Wiregrass responds to bingo legislation. "I am greatly disappointed. But also, I will continue to do our best to stand against gambling between now and November."

5:55 -- Gov. Bob Riley comments on Bedford's bingo legislation. “The bill isn’t about gambling. It’s about corruption. This is the most corrupt piece of legislation ever considered by the Senate."

5:40 -- Motion offered to end bingo debate, vote on bill at 6:15 p.m.

5:22 -- Bingo debate continues. Bedford fielding questions from bingo opponents about language in the bill.

4:26 -- Bingo supporters continue to argue in favor of bingo bill. Majority can cut off debate through a cloture vote at any time.

4:20 -- Roll call vote on budget isolation resolution: Barron (Y); Beason (N); Bedford (Y); Benefield (Y); Bishop (N); Brooks (N); Butler (N); Coleman (Y); Denton (Y); Dixon (N); Dunn (Y); Erwin (N); Figures (Y); French (N); Glover (P); Holley (Y); Keahey (Y); T Little (Y); Z Little (Y); Marsh (N); Means (Y); Mitchell (Y); Mitchem (Y); Orr (N); Penn (Y); Pittman (N); Poole (N); Preuitt (Y); Ross (Y); Sanders (Y); Sanford (N); Singleton (Y); Smith (Y); Smitherman (Y); Waggoner (N).
21 Y
13 N
1 P

3:50 -- Debate on bingo bill begins. Bedford says bingo bill calls for minimum of 20 percent tax on gross receipts, with additional five percent distributed to counties

3:48 -- Budget Isolation Resolution passes Alabama Senate, allowing bingo bill to be brought up for debate, vote.

3:27 -- Alabama Senate debating budget isolation resolution, which would allow the bingo bill to be brought up for a vote

3:20 -- Senate adopts special order calendar 20-10, paving the way to introduce bingo bill.

3:13 -- Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom, Jr., presiding over State Senate, says he believes bingo bill has enough votes to pass

3:10 -- Senator Hank Erwin says Bedford's bingo bill is "straight out of the pit of hell" and "will destroy the state of Alabama as we know it."

3:00 -- The Alabama Senate Rules Committee Chairmen is attempting to place Sen. Roger Bedford's electronic bingo bill on the special order calendar, allowing it to be brought up for debate. Sen. Hank Erwin is objecting to the calendar.

2:58 -- Lobbying continues as the Senate continues to go over other business.

2:57 -- The substituted bingo bill removes what was said to be "monopolistic" language from the original bill. Overall, teh bill is shortened from 49 pages to eight pages.

2:55 -- Rumors are circulating throughout the Senate floor that Bedford and others have secured the 21 votes necessary to pass SB280, as substituted, out of the Senate. It would then be debated in the House.

2:30 -- The Alabama Senate has convened. It is believed Sen. Roger Bedford will attempt to re-introduce a trimmed-down bingo bill shortly.