While a committee of House lawmakers are taking up the mantle of passing a bill that would put the question of legal gambling and lottery in the hands of Alabama voters, other lawmakers, like State Sen. Arthur Orr, thinks it’s still a long shot.
Not just for the year — for the whole quadrennium.
Sen. Orr (R-Decatur) discussed the issue on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show” on Friday.
“I don’t see an expansion of gaming in this quadrennium,” Orr argued, “based on the players that are there now and based on the issues that we have and the money that we have.”
The senator thinks the only gaming bill that might pass is some kind of crackdown against the illegal operations currently running in Alabama.
“I don’t know what the House committee that’s been looking into this is going to come with as far as legislation or a proposal or whatever,” he said. “One of the things that could happen is ramping up the penalties for illegal gaming in the state. That might be a possibility that could pass, and we’ll just have to see.”
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While there have been some suggestions in recent weeks that money from a lottery or legalized gaming could be used to fund an expansion of Medicaid or fund more school choice options in the state, Orr believes that wouldn’t make it through the current legislature.
“Based on what I know today,” he explained, “having to have gambling to do either one of those I don’t see it. I don’t think it’s necessary. On the school choice issue, there can be a bill that’s reasonable an can advance and put Alabama in the school choice camp in some level and get that process started. But as far as gambling and the Medicaid expansion, I don’t think you need either one of those to make school choice happen.
“Medicaid expansion, several hundred million it costs every year. I just don’t see it today.”
Orr admitted though that things can always change after the session begins.
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“Today it’s unlikely,” he argued. “That can certainly change, but based on what I know and as we’ve talked about, I am not in the smoky back room of the pro-gambling groups. I’m a little bit at a distance as far as what they have to say.”
But those that are, from what I hear from them, it’s not really getting a lot of legs for the 2024 session.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
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