Over the last couple of years, legalized gambling and casinos in the state of Alabama — and the push to get it back on the ballot for the people to decide on — has been one of the most highly discussed topics in state politics.

One of those fighting for clarity on the issue is State Rep. Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn), who jumped on with Longshore and McKnight this week to talk about a wide-ranging list of hot topics, including the fight to get gambling back on the ballot in the Yellowhammer State.

Lovvorn talked about how there are already casinos in the state as well as huge amounts of illegal gambling, and the state is missing out on revenue that neighboring states like Florida and Mississippi are cashing in on.

“We’ve got to continue to have these conversations because the amount of gambling in this state is rampant,” Lovvorn said. “We can turn our back to it and ignore it but it’s there. We have the lottery all around us, we have gaming all around us and I think the conversation is gonna be continued to have until we address it.

“We have casinos in Alabama, it’s not a question whether you want them or not. They’re here. There are people gaming on their cellphones every day. It’s not a question if you want it or not. It’s here. So what are we gonna do about it? I think we owe it as lawmakers to continue to have that conversation. We can’t change the law, all we can do is say the people have the right to vote or not on what they want. It’s our job to make sure it’s the right package [for the state]…we can let it illegally take over or we can address it and have the conversation, I’m one that wants to have those hard conversations. We may not have all the answers but it’s our job to make sure we’re answering all the questions.”

Clearly, the gaming issue is a complicated one that has more layers than many realize, but with people like Lovvorn fighting to get it back on the ballot, it feels bound that sooner rather than later, voters will be able to make their voices heard.