By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Senate has rejected yet another attempt to allow a lottery and casinos in the State of Alabama.

On Tuesday evening, the legislative body voted down a bill proposed by Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston) by a vote of 19-13, falling short of the 21 votes necessary to pass the 35-member chamber. The bill would have allowed the citizens of Alabama a chance to vote on expanding gambling and establishing a state lottery.

Marsh, who previously pulled the proposal weeks ago to do more work on the legislation, stated he had “six more votes” at the time, but the bill ultimately fell short.

Nearly half of Senate Republicans opposed the bill with Majority Leader Clay Scofield of Guntersville joining in the proposal’s defeat. Sens. Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro) and Andrew Jones (R-Centre) voting in favor of passage.

“My vote in favor of the bill was an attempt to allow you, the citizens of Alabama, the opportunity to vote to regulate gaming in our state,” said Livingston. “The failure today to regulate gaming allows these games to continue to exist in Alabama, unregulated, with no benefit to you, the citizens. Those conditions and social ills that raised concerns around the bill have always existed and will continue to exist.”

“My hope is that in the future, The Alabama Legislature will continue to work together to find common ground on this issue and once and for all, allow our constituents the opportunity to speak for themselves and vote on this issue,” Livingston concluded.

Marsh’s proposal also called for seven new casinos in the State of Alabama, four of which would’ve been located at the state’s greyhound tracks in Birmingham, Mobile, Macon County, and Greene County. The final three would’ve been in Houston County, Lowndes County, and another in either DeKalb or Jackson counties.

Revenue from the lottery and gambling proposal would have brought in an estimated $200-$280 million per year, and focused on funding scholarships to state community colleges based on need, merit, and the workforce needs of Alabama. The bill was amended by Sen. Kirk Hatcher (D-Birmingham) to include lottery money for K-12 schools and failing schools across the state.

In a statement released following the bill’s failure, Governor Kay Ivey (R-Ala.) stated, “For weeks, I have worked closely with Senator Marsh and others on this legislation which could be transformative if done right. While I believe more work needs to be done, moving the bill through the legislative process is a vital next step. My commitment remains the same: to let the people of Alabama have the final say on a good bill that, once and for all, addresses a long-standing challenge that has faced our state.”

The proposal’s defeat means Alabama will remain part of the handful of states without a lottery. Previously, voters rejected a lottery in 1999 when it was pushed by then-Gov. Don Siegelman (D-Ala.).