We agree with State Rep. Alan Baker that it's too early to start making judgement over whether we will support an Alabama lottery bill sponsored by State Sen. Greg Albritton that passed the Alabama Senate and is now heading to the House of Representatives.
“I'm not going to waste my time until it comes to the House floor,” Baker told us this week. “If it comes out of committee I will study the bill.”
Albritton also said he expects the House to add amendments to his bill that will allow the voters in Alabama to vote on a lottery that is similar to the one held in Florida. Albritton's bill limits the lottery to paper tickets and scratch offs.
“Right now there are too many unknowns,” Baker told us. “I have no idea how the bill will read until it comes out of (the House) committee.”
Until the House committee, or members of the House of Representatives, start adding amendments to Sen. Albritton's bill there is really no reason to concern ourselves on whether we would support such an amendment to the Alabama constitution.
We support the concept of a state lottery, but we supported the concept many years ago when former Gov. Don Siegleman pushed his lottery bill through the Legislature.
Once we read Siegelman's bill that made it through both houses of the Legislature and was placed on the ballot, we editorialized against the bill.
We did so because. like Rep. Baker said, there were too many unknowns. Albritton's bill is being touted as a 'clean' lottery bill that won't expand video gaming across the state. He says it will simply put Alabama in line with all of its neighboring states and generate much-needed revenue for the state.
We may not even get a chance to vote on the measure, but if we do, we want to read the fine print before making a decision.
