Democrats Push For Lottery In Alabama

 

But could that change this year? There’s a bill moving through the house that could do just that. 

 

The bill calls for a referendum, which would let the people of Alabama vote on whether to have a lottery.

 

Lotteries bring in big money for states, with Georgia’s paying about $900 million to education in 2012.

 

But that doesn’t mean everyone agrees with it.

 

“It’d do a lot, it would get a lot of business going on, get people’s to come from other states just as much as anywhere else. So I think we need it,” said Montgomery resident Alice Jackson.

 

“Personally I don’t really think that’s an end all fix all for us in the state. I don’t think it’s going to boost our economy,” said resident Crystal Mason.

 

Whether you like the idea, house democrats are pushing for your opportunity to vote on the issue once and for all. 

 

“It’s time to allow the people to have the right to vote. It’s been 15 years since the last vote on the lottery. The lottery would generate over 250 million dollars for the education trust fund,” said State Representative Craig Ford.

 

Republican Representative Greg Wren was in the state house when the issue last came to the floor. He’s not sure that the result will be any different this year. 

 

“I just don’t see it coming out of the session in 2014 with the lottery. We dealt with it in 1999 pretty overwhelmingly defeated. A lot of thoughts and opinions have changed since 1999 as to whether or not we ought to have a lottery just as there is with casino gambling in our state,” said Rep. Wren.

 

If the referendum does manage to make it through both houses of the legislature, Governor Robert Bentley says he won’t stand in the way. 

 

“I think that I always trust the people. If the legislature passes that so that the people could vote on it, I have no problem with that. I’ve never had a problem with allowing people to vote on anything,” said Governor Bentley.