Another legislation session has passed, and Alabama still has no lottery.<\/p>\n
Actually, the legislature does not in itself have the authority to pass a state lottery, they can only authorize a ballot initiative to let you vote on a lottery. It takes a constitutional amendment.<\/p>\n
The lottery would pass in a vote in Alabama simply because Alabamians are tired of their money going out of state to Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee.<\/p>\n
All our surrounding Southern sister states have lotteries and Alabamians are buying lottery tickets in those states, paving their roads, and educating their students.<\/p>\n
It would pass In Alabama in a unified bipartisan vote. Alabamians who would not or never have bought a lottery ticket would vote for it, and those that must trek to our bordering states to buy them definitely would vote in favor.<\/p>\n
It is well known that the locations that sell the highest numbers of lottery tickets in Florida and Georgia are on the Alabama border.<\/p>\n
The lottery proposal this year was doomed from the beginning because Governor Kay Ivey in her State-of-the-State address announced that she was taking an interest in the issue and announced a study group to study gambling policy for the state.<\/p>\n
Governor Ivey had never taken a position for or against gambling as Lt. Governor or during her campaign for governor or as Governor. Therefore, when she took to the stage in the State-of-the-State, it was apparent that she was finally weighing in on the issue.<\/p>\n
Well, folks, she did not just appoint any old study group, she quickly named a panel of Alabamians that are blue chip, top of the chart, super Alabama leaders.<\/p>\n
This distinguished group is above reproach and have no ties or for that matter no real interest in gambling. Most of them have probably never even bought a lottery ticket or pulled a slot machine lever.<\/p>\n
However, you can bet that this group will come up with a wise and prudent approach to how Alabama should address the gambling solution for our state.<\/p>\n
Kay Ivey has been able to get the best citizens in Alabama to participate in major decisions and initiatives.<\/p>\n
However, it would be difficult to find a bluer ribbon, stellar accomplished group of Alabamians as she has selected and garnered to serve on this panel to study gambling.<\/p>\n
It will be chaired by former Montgomery Mayor, Todd Strange.<\/p>\n
He has been successful in business and government and is above reproach and well respected.<\/p>\n
Other members of this impressive group include Rey Almodovar of Huntsville, who founded and runs a major engineering firm in the Rocket City; Deborah Barnhart of Huntsville, who is the Chief Executive Officer emerita of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville; Walter Bell of Mobile is the past chairman of the worlds largest reinsurance companies and a former Alabama Commissioner of Insurance; Dr. Regina Benjamin of Mobile, who is a physician who served as the 18th Surgeon General of the United States and before that was President of the Medical Association of Alabama; former State Treasurer and retired banker, Young Boozer, who is universally respected; Sam Cochran, who has been Mobile Countys Sheriff since 2006; Liz Huntly, a widely respected attorney and child advocate in Birmingham; Carl Jamison of Tuscaloosa, a third-generation shareholder of one of Alabamas largest and oldest public accounting firms; former Alabama Supreme Court Justice and Court of Appeals Judge, Jim Main; and the legendary journalist, Phil Rawls, who recently retired as Alabamas leading and most respected reporter he covered Alabama government for the Associated Press for 35 years.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the most respected and accomplished member of this elite panel is Bishop Dr. Mike Watson.<\/p>\n
He is the Bishop in Residence at Canterbury Methodist Church in Birmingham and is serving as the Ecumenical Chairman of the Council of Bishops.<\/p>\n
He has served and founded major Methodist Churches in Dothan and Mobile. He is also the past president of the Mobile School Board. I have known Mike Watson since our college days at the University of Alabama. I have never known a better man.<\/p>\n
You will probably see this study groups recommendations on the top of Governor Iveys agenda when she gives the 2021 State-of-the-State address next February.<\/p>\n
Steve Flowers is Alabamas leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the Alabama legislature.<\/p>\n
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Read more: <\/p>\n
Stellar group studying gambling in the state | Opinion | times-journal.com - Times-Journal<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Another legislation session has passed, and Alabama still has no lottery. Actually, the legislature does not in itself have the authority to pass a state lottery, they can only authorize a ballot initiative to let you vote on a lottery. Continue reading