Anderson says claims by Republican opponent Luther Strange that he has legal ties to Milton McGregor is “just a story.”

Anderson says he represents Macon county’s sheriff which has put Anderson in court several times this year over attempted raids of Victoryland by the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling.

“You’ve got to follow the law,” Anderson says about the challenge facing the next attorney general when it comes to e-bingo.

“We haven’t had a court say what’s being played at Greenetrack and Victoryland is legal or illegal.”

As for Strange, who campaigned with Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli this week, Anderson says he has never tried a case.

“I’ve tried hundreds of cases,” Anderson says, “he (Strange) is just a Washington lobbyist.”

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

Appearing on WSFA 12 News Alabama Live, Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert Bentley said when it comes to resolving the issue of gambling in the state, he trusts the people of Alabama.  Bentley promised to do away with the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling. “All these gambling laws were put in place by a vote of the people,” he said. “They were constitutional amendments.  The only way we can change these is by a vote of the people…that’s what I’m for. I trust the people of Alabama.”

Bentley then made the transition to what he considers to be the “real” problem in Alabama, “putting people back to work.”   The Tuscaloosa dermatologist said he wants to expand industry. “I want to have real jobs, clean jobs,” he said.  “I’m not going to concentrate on the gambling issue.”

So how will he create new jobs in a state suffering with 10% unemployment?  “We’ll give tax breaks to industries and let them hire the people,” he said.  “That’s who creates jobs in Alabama.  We need to allow companies to create new jobs.”  Bentley referred to the Reemployment Act of 2010 which he sponsored in the Alabama Legislature.  The bill gives tax breaks to businesses that hire unemployed Alabamians.  He says it can put “five or six thousand people back to work.”

On the broad subject of improving and funding education in the state, Bentley said, “This is a time where we can find deficiencies in government and see what needs to be continued and what does not.”  Bentley says the state needs to change its budgeting formula.  He said he favors a 15-year rolling average which “smooths out all the different ups and downs.” 

He believes something must be done to control health care costs for teachers.  “I love health saving accounts,” said Bentley. “Indiana and Michigan have tried that with teachers and saved $100-million.  We can do that in Alabama.”

He wants to “bring every unearmarked agency that we have in Alabama before the Education Appropriations Committee and make them justify their existence.”  He said, “If they’re not doing what they’re supposed to be doing they should be done away with.”

When asked about his connection with the Alabama Education Association and whether he thought his win in the primary was becasue of attack ads on Bradley Byrne, Bentley said, ” There was a personal battle between Bradley Byrne and the AEA, but that had nothing to do with my winning.  Our polling  shows that all the people, or almost all the people that voted for me would have voted for me regardless.”

Bentley faces Democrat Ron Sparks in the November General Election.

The justices, ruling unanimously, overturned the order of Circuit Judge Tom Young, who had held that Gambling Task Force Commander John Tyson did not have the authority to conduct raids without the consent of local officials.

Tyson did not say when the task force might attempt to raid Victoryland.  But he said the task force would take “immediate action” to stop illegal gambling “wherever it exists in Alabama, including Macon County.”

Governor Riley contends the machines in private casinos are illegal slots and said the Supreme Court decision means “no longer can local elected officials protect gambling bosses from enforcement of the law.”

Victoryland owner Milton McGregor could not immediately be reached for comment, but his attorney, Mark White, said the Supreme Court order decimates the three branches of government, giving the governor “unchecked power” to take actions over the objections of local officials.

White says “they decided that the governor is in essence the king of Alabama.”

The task force earlier this month shut down the Greenetrack electronic bingo casino at Eutaw in Greene County and confiscated more than 800 electronic bingo machines.

“No one is above the law and today’s ruling from the Supreme Court reaffirms this basic principle of our state and our nation.  By removing Judge Hardaway from this case, our highest court has sent a message out loud and clear:  no longer can casinos in this state run to their favorite local judges to try and stop law enforcement officers from enforcing the law.”

Riley’s office added: 

“Upon today’s lifting of the injunction, the Task Force discovered that Greenetrack’s slot machines had been emptied of all their cash during the time Judge Hardaway’s illegal orders were in effect. This shows why the casino bosses pushed Judge Hardaway to issue those injunctions even though they knew they were illegal. The casino bosses wanted to abscond with the hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash these illegal machines had already taken from hard-working Alabamians.”

“If you are going to take jobs away, you’ve got to replace those jobs,” Rogers says of the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling.

The task force arrested 16 people, including fellow caucus member Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro), this morning during a prolonged raid of Greenetrack.

While wearing hand cuffs and sitting on a white Department of Corrections bus, Singleton called the arrest “symbolic” in a telephone interview live on FOX6 WBRC Good Day Alabama.

Rogers says he’s “outraged” by the actions of “two bullies picking on the little people of this state.”

Those bullies, Rogers says, are Gov. Bob Riley and his task force commander, John Tyson.

Greene county unemployment is 13.2%

The state unemployment is currently 10.8%.

Rogers and fellow caucus members plan to call for increased efforts by the governor for economic development in Greene county following the loss of jobs from the raid of Greenetrack.

Rogers says Riley is spending time fighting for jobs lost due to the BP gusher on the Gulf Coast.

“He should be fighting for them everywhere in the state.”

The caucus news conference takes place at 1pm at Greenetrack.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blogs here.

Alan and other reporters observed lobbyist John Teague, Tom Coker and communications consultant Rick Heartsill entering the federal courthouse with what appeared to be documents, though none offered any detail of why they were there.

“I am here to provide some information”, Heartsill would only say to reporters.

Upon leaving, Teague told reporters he was asked about political action committees, but says he has no knowledge of improper offers or corrpution. Coker offered “no comment.”

Also showing up today, without an “invitation,” Republican candidate for governor Bill Johnson.

Alan says Johnson “showed up, he walked in, then apparently walked back out.”

The one-time aide to Gov. Bob Riley says he is asking prosecutors to look into “outside gambling interests influencing public policy.” It’s the same story he has repeated before. He claims out-of-state casino money has driven anti-gambling efforts in the state, pointing in particular to Riley and his administration.

The governor, a gambling opponent, and his staff have strongly denied the claims. The governor’s spokesman, Jeff Emerson, tells Alan that Johnson is “a fringe candidate… he is a nutjob.”

Emerson also says Johnson is “going tell a bunch of lies to get on television.”

Many witnesses are expected to appear this week.

Sen. Priscilla Dunn (D-Bessemer) was originally scheduled for today, but says she was told to wait until tomorrow.

“They say there are so many there today,” Dunn told me this afternoon.

House Speaker Seth Hammett (D-Andalusia) is also expected tomorrow.

Representatives confirming a subpoena for this week include Republican Mac Gipson of Prattville, Democrat Craig Ford of  Gadsden. Senators include Republican Scott Beason of Gardendale, Republican Paul Sandford of Huntsville, Democrat Phil Poole of  Moundville and Democrat Linda Coleman of Birmingham. None of those called has indicated they have been told they are targets of an investigation.

The federal grand jury follows a meeting last month with Hammett and other legislative leaders, both Republican and Democrat, in which federal investigators told them of possible corruption dealing with an e-bingo bill.

The proposed constitutional amendment passed the Senate, but failed to garner enough support for a vote in the House in the final days of the session.

This morning on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama, Birmingham attorney Roger Appell called revelations about the probe last month unusual.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blogs here.

Among the bills pending are a bailout of the state’s PACT plan and a ban on texting while driving.

Road and Bridge Bond

Today House members face that billion dollar road and bridge proposal in the full House.

This morning on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama, two Birmingham-metro lawmakers predicted plenty of discussion before a vote today.

Rep. Oliver Robinson (D) of Birmingham says “we need to try to do what we can to bring jobs to Alabama”  in support of the bill, but adds Birmingham and Jefferson county should get a “lion’s share of the money.”

That is not the case in Birmingham legislators’ minds at this time.

Rep. Jim McClendon (R) of Springville warns the bill is “robbing the piggy bank.” That piggy bank being the Oil and Gas Trust Fund.

“The oil and gas trust fund produces hundreds of millions of dollars that go into the general fund… there is a lot of concern,” McClendon says.

e-Bingo

The House Tourism committee passed Sen. Roger Bedford’s e-bingo bill without amendment this morning.

It’s road may not get easier in the full House.

Rep. Robinson expects a tough battle in these closing days.

“We’ll have plenty of discussion on the floor and it is my hope we pass it out of the House.  I don’t know if we have the votes, but you have to give it a shot.”

McClendon believes the votes won’t be there in the full House.

Erin Dixon further sets the stage for the House debate here.

SB233

The St. Clair county Republican is finding a tough time for the Senate-passed CA giving Alabamian’s the vote to say they want to opt out of the federal health care overhaul.

“The Democrats have blocked that bill from coming before the House committee,” he says.

“We have a House committee meeting today at 12:30 and it’s not on the calender and its because its been blocked by the folks that don’t want a referendum.”

Rep. Robinson vows to do everything he can to keep it off the agenda.

House Majority Leader Ken Guin (D-Carbon Hill) has previously said state lawmakers don’t have a clear view of what is in the federal law. Guin believes it would be premature to act in this legislative session.

Tea Party activists in Alabama have urged followers to call the state house and sign petitions demanding the bill sponsored by Sen. Scott Beason (R-Gardendale) come up for a vote.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blogs here.

He believes a federal corruption probe determined that last week.

“I think it will slow the process… I don’t think anyone will try to speed this bill,” Hilliard says.

Hilliard says “lots of people… won’t stop at any measure” to block the bill, echoing Democratic cries of a politically motivated investigation.

“Ludicrous,” says Rep. Paul DeMarco (R-Homewood).

“I don’t think this bill had the votes before this occurred,” DeMarco says.

The two appeared this morning on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama.