Posted by There a couple of things you can almost always count on in Alabama politics, the sun will always rise in the morning and the Alabama Legislature will consider a bill to legalize gambling every session. Ken touched on the details of the current legislation beign proposed in his blog but I would like to talk about what is going to happen next. I feel like I can speak with confidence on this subject because it is the exact same series of events every session.
First, the proponents of gambling will come out with a bill that says “it’s already here so we might as well tax it and take advantage of the revenue that it can bring in.” The proponents will argue next that this is not about voting for or against gambling, it is “about giving the people, the right to vote.” Soon the state house will fill with rumors that the bill has 6 more votes than necessary to finally pass the legislature.
Second, the opponents of the legislation will scream that “this time the gambling proponents finally have the votes and we must work double hard to reverse the tide before it is too late.” Be on your toes because at any moment this bill could pop up and we would all be caught off guard and steam rolled by the gambling proponents under this argument. Sometimes this fear is not without merit but it can be overhyped at times.
Finally, the day of the vote comes and the bill falls short by about 6 or 7 votes. I say this because this has been the exact same result for the last 7 times this bill was brought before the House.
Now there are a couple of interesting twists in this political drama. For the first time since I can remember, AEA has joined forces with the gambling proponents to push for the legislation. Also, in a rare but shrewd move, the Indian tribes have also joined with the gambling proponents to push for final passage. I say this because in Montgomery you never know what will happen. One thing is for sure though, just as sure as the sun will rise, a bingo bill has been introduced in the House.
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Representative Ward – what do you think of the bill?
My impression is that the bingo bill creates a monopoly (or perhaps more accurately, an oligopoly) for the operators of the ‘14 gambling centers’. Is this true? If so, I don’t like it.
Does the bill allow for other operators (for example, what if Harrah’s wanted to enter the bingo business in Alabama)?
Is there a list (by name) of the operators who would directly benefit from passage of this bill?
Do the Creeks really have federal protection for gambling (I thought they did, but now I’ve heard that they don’t officially have a federal reservation)?
Are the Creeks on-board more for their ‘compact’ with the State date or for gambling in general?
BTW, thank you for voting yes on Free the Hops.
Good questions Reactionary. In the past one of the many reasons I have opposed this bill is because it did create a monopoly. In this one the business does seemed to be spread around to about 14 different locations. I imagine this is to bring in more political support for the bill as well. The Indian Reservation issue is very complicated but here is the short version: the Indian nations can have gambling equal to whatever is allowed in the State of Alabama. There is a legal question as to what is actually the level allowed by our law right now. The Attorney General has written different opinions on the legality of “bingo” machines and several district attorneys have gone as far as seizing these machines. I suspect the court will work it out as to what is actually legal under the law right now. However, if you work from the premise that full slot machines are legal in Alabama then the answer to your question is Yes, a Harrah’s could come to one of the Indian reservations and open up. The rule has always been that the Governor is expected to “negotiate in good faith” with the indian tribes to work out compact agreements. In order to bring the tribes on board to support this bill he argument from proponents is that the Governor has not negotiated in good faith and therefore this legislation compels him to do so. If he doesn’t then you basically just give them the rights they are seeking through the Justice Dept. Indian Affairs Commission. Very convoluted I know but tried to keep it pretty simple. I am not real sure how you “compel” someone to negotiate in good faith.
I have read the bill and there is a lot in it:
1. It puts the issue to a vote of the people (sounds like a good idea to me)
2. It establishes a gaming commission to regulate bingo (sounds like a good idea to me)
3. It controls the growth of gaming and cleans up Walker County (sounds like a good idea to me)
4. It provides badly needed funding for education (sounds like a good idea to me)
5. It provides badly needed funding for medicaid (sounds like a good idea to me)
6. It benefits 743,000 school children (sounds like a good idea to me)
7. It benefits 1 million medicaid recipients (sounds like a good idea to me)
8. It simplifies Alabama’s diverse decentralized gaming laws (sounds like a good idea to me)
9. It promotes the expansion of tourism and economic development(sounds like a good idea to me)
Not seeing much basis for opposing the bill other than toeing the party line.
I think you make some good points and some of the exact same points I said would be made in my post. I am not sure being opposed or having some concerns is all about just toeing the party line though because even Rep. Guin said in his post there are some real issues to look at here. It should be a fun debate
In as much as the Alabama Republican Party has threatened to censure any official voting for a gambling measure, I am not sure one will be able to differentiate valid concerns from toeing the party line. Unfortunately for them, their dissent has lost a lot of credibility following that censure resolution. After all, a vote for the bill is merely a vote for letting the people vote on the issue.
Reactionary I want to address some of your concerns,
1.)This does create an oligopoly after first, but it is similar to the ABC Licensing process in that you may apply for a license to the gaming commission. If this is unfair to those that want to participate in the gaming process we must strike down any type of licensing in the state because it can be construed as creating an oligopoly.
2.) If Harrah’s want to come, they have to go before the Gaming Commission (as noted above) and apply for a license. (This is all spelled out in the bill, please don’t make me reference the page numbers as that would be a pain)
3.) The National Indian Gaming Commission has already said if we allow any bingo in the state (electronic or not) the Poarch Creek Tribe will still be allowed to have their games.
So in essence what this bill does is regulates something that is at the current time not regulated. It puts in place a commission to handle applicants and grants licenses. Regardless of what we do in the state the Federal Government has already said the Poarch Creek Indians will be able to continue what they have started. I guess we could sue the Feds to make it stop, but I don’t see that working out very well.
In response to Rep. Ward,
How can the Governor negotiate in good faith when he has let it be known he is opposed to the bingo machines. In essence he is not negotiating at all. You can compel someone to do what is best for the state, not what is best according to their individual morality.
That’s why character counts in voting. We have a representative democracy – not a direct democracy.
Mike B, I can see all the Houston County, country-crossing folks and their lobbyists are out in full force on the blogs. This bill is just another attempt to bring a lot of of money into the pockets of big time gambling magnets. I have no problem with them trying to get these laws passed to make money but please don’t try and tell us that this all about education or helping our great state. Its all about the money and those who represent those paying the money.
Nixon, I see Governor’s kool-aid drinker’s are out on the blog’s spewing their usual tired rhetoric having been unable to dispute the tens of thousands of jobs to be created, the hundreds of millions of annual tax revenues to be generated, the 743,000 school children who receive a better education, or the million disadvantage citizens who get improved health care.
You’re right, it is about the money the Choctaw’s paid to Governor Riley through lobbyist/convicted felon Jack Abramoff to shutdown gambling in Alabama.
It is about the lies the Governor tells the Alabama people like:
1. “Gambling has never been approved in Alabama when all the people get to vote” when Amendment 674 was approved by voters in a statewide ballot. Not to mention the dishonesty of the argument when most of the state’s population centers have approved gambling in local amendment.
2. “Gambling sucks $675 million out of the economy”. U.S. Dept of Commerce statistics demonstrate that gambling establishments create more jobs and economic output than do other forms of retail commerce”
3. “Electronic bingo is illegal” when multiple AG’s have determined it to be legal and relevant federal and state case law does as well.
In the end the decision before the legislature is whether or not to let the people vote on this important issue. So we should all support the people’s right to vote.
It’s kind of strange the Governor suggests gambling never has and never will be approved statewide but he does not support letting the people vote. Perhaps his internal polls show like the published polls that 56% of the people support the proposed amendment and all its benefits.
Let the people decide!
I do understand the the owners may make money. Anyone who is interested in a $50-$300 million should be looking to make some money in the long run. I know as it pertains to Country Crossing that the earnings from bingo is going to be used to reinvest in the project as a whole. It will be used to build the water park, the theme park, the amphitheater that will seat 15,000, the family entertainment center, the restaurants, and fairgrounds…… The list goes on and on. When all is said and done and there are 4000+ plus good jobs, and MILLIONS going into our taxes and into charities in our communities. I hope the owner/investors do make a lot of money. Is that not what a free market economy is all about?!?