This year’s legislative session saw another opportunity for Alabama to breakthrough and finally get a lottery come and go. The Senate passed a bill but the House could not come to terms with the Senate version and Alabamians will have to wait at least one more year before they will see lottery terminals showing up at retail locations around the state.
The failure by the legislature to pass a lottery bill resulted in members on both sides of the aisle pointing fingers, with some blaming the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PCI) for the outcome. Detractors of PCI say the tribe opposed so-called video lottery terminals, which was an element in the broken deal.
During an appearance on Talk 99.5’s “Matt & Aunie Show,” PCI’s governmental relations advisor Robbie McGhee insisted PCI supports a lottery.
“We support a clean lottery bill,” McGhee said. “We always have and if it’s part of a larger casino package or whatever, that’s fine. But I just believe a standalone lottery could pass on its own. You have people who are driving to Georgia, to Florida and surrounding states for the lottery. I think you should have that opportunity to do that here in the state of Alabama.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.