Here we go again. Unless a miracle occurs the voters in Alabama will not have an opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment to decide if we want a lottery or not.
State Sen. Greg Albritton's 'clean lottery' bill that limited the lottery to what you see in Florida with paper tickets and scratch-off tickets passed the Senate by one vote. It got derailed in the House of Representatives. Some in the House said they were simply against gambling and didn't think Alabama needed to turn to gambling to solve its money problems. Others wanted the lottery bill expanded to include electronic bingo games at existing dog tracks like those that are currently operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.
But once again, we won't be able to vote on the issue because the Alabama Legislature won't give us that opportunity. I'm sure the Lottery stores in Jay, Century and Walnut Hill are tickled to death to see Alabama's Lottery bill have a slow death. They love seeing the heavy traffic flowing into the Sunshine state on a daily basis to buy Lottery tickets and possibly buy some gasoline and stop and eat – all adding tax dollars to the Florida coffers.
What's ironic is that the Legislature is dealing with some major financial issues. One is the prisons and the other is the expansion of Medicaid.
The federal government will eventually step in and make Alabama do something about the prison system and the Legislature will have no option but to comply or let the federal government take them over at a higher price.
Medicaid is what concerns me the most. Alabama is one of a handful of states that did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Health Care Act. The key issue is the estimated $168 million price tag.
My major concern is what will happen to rural hospitals if we don't expand Medicaid. Most rural hospitals are on life support right now. I read where Alabama has lost 13 rural hospitals since 2011 and as many as 88 percent of existing rural hospitals are operating at a deficit.
Is Medicaid a form of welfare? It's easy to make that argument. Why should I have to shell out big bucks for health insurance when others get their medical care for free?
Here's the problem. You can have a Cadillac medical insurance plan, but if there is not a hospital nearby to treat you when you need medical attention that insurance is basically worthless.
It's like having $1,000 in your pocket when you pull up to the convenience store needing gas and they are out of gas. That $1,000 isn't going to get you down the road unless you pay somebody to drive you.
We've seen Abernathy Memorial Hospital in Flomaton close. What would happen if D.W. McMillan in Brewton, Atmore Memorial and Jay Hospital closed? It would be a long trip to Pensacola when you're having a heart attack or a stroke.
When hospitals close, they don't just close for Medicaid patients, they close for everybody.
I understand when the Republicans took over Montgomery many of our legislators signed a 'no new taxes' pledge, but just recently they passed a gasoline tax.
So, could a lottery be the answer to the prison and Medicaid problems? It will generate a lot of revenue and it you don't want to play you don't have to play. But we'd all reap the benefits of the money generated.
Living in Flomaton I like the idea of having three hospitals and emergency rooms within 15 miles of me in any direction.
From what I've read the Lottery bill, if not dead, is on life support for this session. We need to take our rural hospitals off of life support and an Alabama Lottery would be a positive step in the right direction.
No, it won't solve all the problems, but if it prevents another 13 hospitals from closing over the next 10 years it will have at least solved that problem.
