On Tuesday, opponents to the current legal gaming proposal before state lawmakers held a press conference at the Alabama State House, hosted by Stephanie Smith, President of the Alabama Policy Institute.
“The two bills together are over 150 pages,” Smith said. “If it passes, it will completely change the culture of our state,” adding that “a broad coalition” has come together in opposition.
The press conference took place one room over and one hour before the House Economic Development and Tourism committee held a public hearing on HB151 and HB152, which serves as both the enabling legislation and structure of lawmakers’ proposed legal gaming system.
The former contains a constitutional amendment to change the language of the Alabama Constitution as it exists to make games of chance permissible under state law. The latter details the administrative composition of the proposed gaming commission and sets forth which counties can become home to casinos — which are limited to seven in total.
The Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA) opposes the bill. President and CEO of the Federation, Jimmy Parnell, spoke after Smith at the press conference to outline the group’s reservations.
“We have been against gambling for many, many years,” ALFA President Jimmy Parnell said. “If we were for gambling, we would still be against the bill.”
Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell's remarks on proposed gaming legislation at the State House today: "We are against gambling, have been against gambling for many, many years.
Let's just assume, though, that we were for it. If we were for gambling, we will not…
— Grayson Everett (@Grayson270) February 13, 2024
A number of groups, individuals recovering from gambling addiction, as well as faith-based leaders shared their fundamental oppositions to opening the state to legal gambling mediums. The Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP) is against the legislation.
“Alabama is a better state because we have resisted gambling,” said ALCAP President Greg Davis. “The American Psychiatric Association has declared gambling to be addictive. It negatively affects lives. We at ALCAP represent Churches, and our churches are on the frontlines,” said Davis. “They are the ones who bail people out when they lose everything that they have.”
Davis refuted that position and urged the state to instead just enforce existing laws against illegal gambling. “Let’s enforce the laws that we have,” Davis said.
Rick Lamb is with the Alabama State Board of Baptist Churches.
“We do not need to turn Alabama into Bama Vegas,” said Lamb. “I have serious concerns about” the gaming legislation. Lamb said that it is the Churches that see the human costs of gaming addiction.
“The worst people in the world, the most vulnerable people you can bring this too are the people who want to win it big when win it big is not going to happen in their lives,” Lamb said.
RELATED: State Rep. Blackshear: ‘Naïve’ to think sports betting isn’t already taking place in Alabama
Kimberly Cooke serves on the Vestavia Hills City Council. She expressed her opposition to the bill at the press conference, as well as at the official public hearing held
“This would go in without any vote of our city council,” said Cooke who feared that the casinos would be located just up the road from Vestavia in the City of Birmingham. Both Birmingham and Vestavia are in Jefferson County. The bill requires that the Jefferson County area casino be in Birmingham.
State Rep. Jim Carns (R-Vestavia) said, “This has got all kind of things I don’t understand; but I do understand that if you can gamble on your phone 24 hours a day we are going to have problems.”
“This is something that I personally do not want to see come into the culture of Alabama,” said Rep. Carns. “I don’t want to see my grandchildren drive down the street and see billboards by the state of Alabama for gambling whether the money goes into education or something else.”
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected]
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.