Strange, who took office two weeks ago today, appeared this morning on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama.

The Republican says he and Gov. Robert Bentley are “working hand and hand” on the case and he sees no reason to back out of the lawsuit filed by his predecessor, Troy King.

“I think it strengthens our hand, and the fact that the US government is in the case now, really there is no way Alabama should drop out.”

Strange also says he has met with attorneys for Greentrack about the future of e-bingo at the facility.

Last week, city leaders in Bessemer expressed a desire for guidance from the attorney general as that city considers an e-bingo ordinance.

“We made it very clear. In my opinion, gambling going on at these large casinos is illegal slot machines,” Strange told me today on Good Day.

“If they like to test these machines in court, they can have their day in court.”

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

The headline grabbing AG considered a Tea Party favorite is campaigning for Alabama’s Republican nominee for AG, Luther Strange. Cuccinelli has been campaigning for fellow Republicans around the country.

Monday he was campaigning for a Republican candidate in Iowa.

The Strange-Cuccinelli tandem started the day on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama.

Strange says he supports Cuccinelli’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal law overhauling health care.

In September, Cuccinelli told Tea Partiers “the state’s attorneys general are the last line of defense to protect the Constitution from the federal government.”

Strange says there’s “a huge contrast” between him and Democratic nominee James Anderson on the health care overhaul and on gambling in Alabama.

Strange tried to tie Anderson to one of the 11 arrested Monday in that federal corruption probe.

“The person I’m running against is right in the middle of that debate,” Strange says, “he (Anderson) represents one of the gambling interest that’s associated with Milton McGregor.”

A spokesman for Anderson says not so.

Communications Manager Dean Argo says “James represents Macon County Sheriff David Warren, not Victoryland or Milton McGregor. James has represented Sheriff Warren for more than three years.”

Anderson appears Thursday morning on Good Day Alabama.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

During an interview on WSFA 12 News Alabama Live, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ron Sparks said, “The state of Alabama is broke.  I am a candidate for governor that’s trying to find some solutions to the problems we have in Alabama.”

For Sparks, the quickest and perhaps the most popular approach to improving the state’s finances  would be through taxes and fees from gambling.  From the beginning, the current Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries has campaigned on establishing an education lottery and taxing existing electronic bingo operations.

Sparks vows his first act after taking office will be to scrap the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling. “I’ve been against it the whole time,” he said. “I will dismantle the Task Force and put these people back to work.  We’re going to start taxing and regulating this industry.”

When asked if he thought the electronic bingo machines are illegal, Sparks said, “I don’t think they’re illegal.  I think you’ve seen judges all across the state of Alabama that have ruled that they are legal.  I think you’ve seen District Attorneys that have said that they’re legal.  Certainly, the governor and the (Alabama) Supreme Court have deemed that they are illegal…but I disagree.”

Sparks took another swipe at Governor Bob Riley saying, “There have been more video and gaming machines come to the state of Alabama under governor Bob Riley’s administration than all the governors put together.  He has sat back and watched these facilities be built.  He knew what was going on.  And in the last months of his campaign he’s decided that he’s going to go out and be relentless and put these folks out of work.”

The Ag Commissioner concluded saying, “…the people of Alabama need a choice and we’re going to give them the opportunity to vote on it.”

When asked about funding schools and other state agencies suffering from the sluggish economy, Sparks said, “I don’t look at going into the governor’s office to start cutting.  That’s an easy thing to do.  What we’ve got to do is find a way to fund some of the problems we’ve got in this state.”

Sparks faces Republican candidate, Robert Bentley 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.”

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.

“I’m glad to see that Commander Tyson has been relieved of his duties,” said Commissioner Ron Sparks. “Tyson did nothing but put people out of work. The bingo task force should be permanently disbanded. If the attorney general won’t disband it, or can’t disband it, I will when I’m governor. It is time to end the circus.”