Alabama lottery plan changed; vote next week

May 10, 2019, 8:40 am (7 comments)

Alabama

An Alabama House committee today adopted a new version of a bill to set up a state lottery in Alabama, changing how the money would be distributed.

The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee adopted the bill by Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, who is chairman of the House General Fund budget committee.

Clouse's bill would direct 75 percent of net lottery revenues to the General Fund and 25 percent to the Education Trust Fund.

The original version, by Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, would have first applied the revenue to pay back the Alabama Trust Fund for transfers made to support the state budget from 2013-2015. After that, Albrittons' bill would have split lottery revenues between the General Fund, a new reserve fund and the Alabama Trust Fund. Albritton is chairman of the General Fund committee in the Senate.

Albritton's bill passed the Senate last month without a vote to spare.

The bill, a proposed amendment to the state Constitution, would need 63 votes in the 104-member House to pass and the House and Senate would have to agree on the same version. If approved by the Legislature, it would go on the ballot for voters in March 2020.

The lottery is projected to raise about $167 million a year after prizes and expenses are paid.

Rep. Becky Nordgren, R-Gadsden, chair of the Economic Development and Tourism Committee, said the committee would vote on the lottery bill next week.

Clouse said he has talked to House members since the lottery bill passed the Senate and said there was a desire to apply some of the revenue to the Education Trust Fund. Clouse said voters would be more likely to approve a lottery if some of the money supports education.

"I think people obviously identify with education," Clouse said. "The general public, I think, doesn't quite understand what the General Fund does. When you start pointing out what the General Fund actually is, with Medicaid, prisons, mental health, senior services, state troopers, they begin to understand how important the General Fund is. "

AL

Comments

Bleudog101

Hey @ least they're talking about the lottery again.  Am thinking folks this time around will approve it.  Perhaps the shear amount of huge jackpots in neighboring states will entice more yays than nays.

music*'s avatarmusic*

Before March 2020 there will be more huge jackpots. 

noise-gate

Clouse has it right.The paying public demands to know what the General Fund is. You simply tell people your money is going ...,is not good enough nowadays.

Side Note: Talking about clarity: In  the recent past, some foreigners in San Jose have found themselves driving on the wrong side of the road and when stopped by the cops, their excuse was “ the road signs or wordings are not in our native language.” Nice try, but sorry.

Stack47

"Wait until next year to vote because we can't figure out how to spend the profits."

dannyct

The state should ringfence 25% of the lottery revenue into a Future Fund, to benefit future generations.

noise-gate

Quote: Originally posted by dannyct on May 11, 2019

The state should ringfence 25% of the lottery revenue into a Future Fund, to benefit future generations.

.. with a subscription of course!

happy shirley temple GIF

Furface50

Only thing I don't see in the general fund is the Alabama department of conservation and natural resources. They get nothing from the General Fund.  Most alabamians don't even know this, all their funds come from the license, ammunition taxes, guns taxes. If the Lottery passes , got my vote of yes, sick of spending my money in other states and knowing the less fortunate children in Alabama can benefit from this and have a brighter future. The Alabama department of conservation and natural resources should get at least 10% if not more from the lottery proceeds. So so much is put off in repairing some of the parks lack of funds.  Take the Columbia side, at the river it's locked up, I used to go down there and fish when I was a kid they don't have enough money to repair it,  least this way they might have.

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