Alabama legislators postpone gambling bill meeting amid ongoing division

Alabama legislators postponed a crucial meeting on Wednesday regarding a gambling package that has sparked divisions between the House and Senate, signaling ongoing challenges in reaching a consensus.

Rep. Chris Blackshear, R-Smiths Station, revealed Wednesday that despite "several productive meetings" between members of the conference committee tasked with reconciling disparities, a public meeting was delayed to allow both sides to reach a comfortable compromise, reports Alabama Reflector.

The House version of the gambling bill, passed in February, encompassed a broad scope including a lottery, authorization for up to seven casinos, and provisions for sports betting statewide. Additionally, it mandated the governor to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, operators of casinos in Atmore, Montgomery, and Wetumpka.

In contrast, the Senate version, approved last month, streamlined the bill, retaining only the compact and the lottery provisions. Disagreements also persist between the chambers regarding the distribution of gambling revenues and the timing of a potential referendum on the issue.

Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore; Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro; and Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman; represent the Senate on the conference committee, while Blackshear, along with Sam Jones, D-Mobile; and Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest, are the House conferees.

Singleton and Albritton, longtime advocates of gambling legislation, have been vocal proponents throughout the process, while Whitt and Blackshear spearheaded the House's original legislation.

Despite initial plans for a Wednesday afternoon meeting, Whitt's uncertainty and Albritton's cautious remarks underscored the complexities of the negotiations. Albritton emphasized that while progress had been made, significant work remained to be done within the limited timeframe.

Albritton said the bill was still alive and that legislators are getting closer to a deal, but didn’t go into specifics. “We still got five days, right? We just got a long way to go,” Albritton said, as per the cited media.

The delay comes on the heels of Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, expressing discontent over not being invited to a meeting with several conference committee members on Monday.

With five days remaining in the legislative session, the path forward for the gambling bill remains uncertain.