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Some Alabama lawmakers, and adjacent Gov. Kay Ivey, expressed disappointment and vexation connected Thursday arsenic the legislative league ended without a last ballot connected a gambling bill.
Though the measure passed successful the House earlier successful the session, a scaled-back mentation of the measurement failed by 1 ballot successful the Senate and supporters were incapable to interruption the impasse.
Because the measure wasn't approved during this session, voters volition not person the accidental to ballot connected gambling wrong the authorities aboriginal this twelvemonth – continuing a 25-year stalemate connected the issue.
"There was a batch of effort to effort to marque it work. I deliberation the radical privation a accidental to vote. I perceive that everyplace I go," Republican House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said, according to The Associated Press.
GAMBLING BILL STALLS IN ALABAMA LEGISLATURE DURING SESSION'S FINAL HOURS
Alabama lawmakers ended the legislative league connected Thursday without coming to an statement connected a gambling measure aft it came to an impasse successful the Senate contempt easy passing the House. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
The measure approved by the House would person allowed a lottery, sports betting and up to 10 casinos with slot machines and array games, but the Senate approved a stricter mentation that lone included a lottery and allowing canine tracks and different sites to person machines wherever players tin stake connected replays of equine races.
Senators were much reluctant to o.k. the thought of slot machines oregon video poker.
A league committee projected a compromise that would person authorized a statewide lottery and slot machines astatine 7 locations successful the state, but that besides did not triumph support successful the Senate contempt support successful the House.
"It was thing that determination weren’t votes successful the Senate to approve," Republican Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed said of the league committee proposal. "So that’s wherever we are."
ALABAMA LAWMAKERS PROPOSE BILL TO INTRODUCE STATE LOTTERY, 10 CASINOS
Alabama senators were reluctant to the thought of approving authorities allowing slot machines and video poker successful the state. (Wayne Perry/AP Photo)
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey told reporters Thursday she was disappointed successful the result due to the fact that she "wanted radical to person a accidental to ballot connected the issue."
When asked if she would telephone a peculiar league for the subject, the politician said it would beryllium pointless without lawmakers reaching an agreement.
Republican Rep. Chris Blackshear, the sponsor of the legislation, said the passing of the measure would person provided the authorities with more wealth for education, roads and different needs.
"We had it arsenic adjacent arsenic it’s been before. We had a chance," Blackshear said of the chamber's effort.
Rep. Barbara Drummond, a Democrat, noted that Alabamians are traveling to neighboring states to acquisition lottery tickets, which benefits residents elsewhere.
"I’m frustrated today," she said. "The House stood up similar it should, but it deed a partition upstairs. It’s clip we halt playing these games of peculiar involvement and look retired for the radical who nonstop america here."
Alabama does not person a lottery and lawmakers expressed vexation astatine residents having to acquisition scratch-off tickets successful different states, which payment programs elsewhere. (iStock)
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Alabamians person not voted connected gambling since 1999, which is erstwhile a lottery connection by then-Gov. Don Siegelman was rejected by voters.
Multiple efforts person been made successful the years since past to found gambling opportunities successful the state, but statement implicit casinos and physics gambling machines has mostly caused the bills to stall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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