With e-bingo one of the remaining major bills with a chance of passage in the final two days of the legislative session, House Majority Leader Ken Guin (D-Carbon Hill) says he would prefer to not bring it up if the votes are not there. Rep. Marcel Black (D-Tuscumbia) says he is still working to secure [...]
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House Majority Leader Ken Guin (D-Carbon Hill) expects smooth sailing for the Special Education Trust Fund. Debate begins on the House floor today. The nearly $5.5 billion dollar budget, buoyed by extra millions from a lawsuit and a bond, should cover all teacher slots the state provides. Earlier this session that was not expected to [...]
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A new Ask Alabama poll from Auburn University says 68% support a lottery and 60% back video gambling to boost state budgets and education spending. Details, the questions and methodology can be viewed here. Supporters of a constitutional amendment dealing with electronic bingo will count votes over the weekend, leading up to Tuesday’s session. Sen. [...]
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Who came out on top in Alabama politics this week? Attorney General Troy King faces many fronts at the end of this week. First, his much-talked about announcement Wednesday about his authority over the governor’s anti-gambling task force was quickly dismissed by task force commander John Tyson. Now, Legislative Black Caucus chairman Rep. John Rogers [...]
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Rep. John Rogers (D-Birmingham) believes Attorney General Troy King said “what needed to be said” an hour ago. Rogers, who wrote a letter to King this week on behalf of the Black Legislative Caucus, tells me its time to “wait and see what the governor is going to do.” King just advised Gov. Bob Riley [...]
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Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) continues to talk tough about the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling. He warns if state agents arrive at GreeneTrack “without a valid search warrant, you will be met with some resistance. We will practice civil disobedience. We will not allow them to take our business and the jobs.” Watch the [...]
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Job creation for Birmingham will be a priority for new mayor William Bell, scheduled to be sworn in this afternoon. This morning on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama, council members Jay Roberson and Kim Rafferty pointed at the growing worries about economic development in the city. “Regionally, we’ve got to cooperate on certain projects to [...]
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Senator Steve French (R-Irondale) hopes to peel away Democratic opposition to his charter schools bill one by one in the Alabama legislature. Critics, led by the Alabama Education Association, say the bill takes money from public schools. “Charter schools take taxpayers dollars,” Lance Hyche tells FOX6 News. Hyche is with the Birmingham office of AEA. [...]
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