Alabama gambling gets the potential to be the center of Dixie’s saving grace, holding the key to eliminating the existing $200 million deficit in the legislature’s General Fund.

State Senator Del Marsh (R-Anniston), chosen to be president pro tempore by his colleagues, is leading the cost to legalize commercial gaming and produce a state-run lottery.

Marsh is asking lawmakers in Montgomery to allow voters to decide if they want Las Vegas-style gambling choices at the four existing greyhound race tracks and a lottery.

It’s a proposition that if voters approve it would amend hawaii’s current constitution.

Republican Governor Robert Bentley has called a special legislature session that will commence on August 3rd to discuss the 2016 financial spending plan, and even though Marsh plans on target gambling expansion, the governor is using his executive capacity to override that notion and get rid of the conversation from the agenda

‚This isn’t about gambling, folks,‘ Bentley said at the Montgomery Rotary Club on Monday. ‚We’ve got to fundamentally replace the method we budget in Alabama so gambling is totally from the table as far as I’m concerned.‘

High-Stakes Dispute

The General Fund in question is certainly one of five major operational treasuries the state keeps, and it’s really arguably the most crucial.

The fund is responsible for executive, legislative and judicial expenses, and also supports vital programs including child protection, criminal justice, prisons, general public health and safety, and Medicaid.

Bentley vetoed the first proposed General Fund budget in June, a $1.63 billion measure that reduced money for the aforementioned state agencies by $199.6 million, including five percent cuts to Medicaid as well as the Department of Corrections.

After their veto, Bentley said ‚it’s an emergency for hawaii‘ and that whenever legislators ‚have their minds appropriate‘ he’ll bring them back once again to the capitol.

Marsh states gambling is going to be taken to the floor, and while Bentley plans to dismiss it, both sides agree the Alabama Supreme Court will have to choose whether the governor possesses the authority to singularly decide which topics will be discussed during an assembly session that is special.

Bama Gamble

Alabama currently has three Native American gambling enterprises, and though none provide table games, the hundreds of slot machines still generate big revenues.

Under Alabama law, tribal casinos aren’t required to report incomes.

However, it’s believed that indigenous American casinos in Alabama, Nebraska, Alaska, and Texas gross over a fifty per cent of a billion dollars a year annually.

Of course, expanding gambling would not solve the General Fund problem for 2016, but over the long haul those additional profits could certainly aid in the federal government’s expenditures.

But preconceived opinions on gambling continue to supersede the industry’s potential advantage.

‚Alabama is better than to be determined by gambling to fund its government,‘ Bentley said in May. ‚no intention is had by me of doing anything with gambling.‘

Alabama indeed might be better than gambling, but considering the choice is reduced money to programs that are crucial protect residents, or increasing taxes that potentially hurt the economy, gambling might function as the better bet for long-term feasibility.

Bentley though, at least for 2016, is choosing fees to resolve the typical Fund gap. ‚If any of these taxes affect y’all, just rejoice that you have got enough money to pay them,‘ the governor declared.