• Gambling task force asks Supreme Court to block injunction: http://www.myfoxal.com/global/story.asp?s=12225142 #
• The AL House and Senate have come to order for the 23rd legislative day of the 2010 regular session. #
• The AL Senate is honoring Senator Bobby Denton for his induction into the AL Music Hall of Fame. #
• The AL Senate has recessed until 2:30. There are rumors that Sen. Bedford's BINGO bill will come up for a vote today. #
• HB274 by Rep. Richard Lindsey, the Education Trust Fund budget has come up on the House floor. #
• View HB274 by Rep. Richard Lindsey (D): http://bit.ly/bnu48P,, #
• Lindsey: With this bill we tried to keep as many teachers in the classroom. #
• Lindsey: Technology is not funded at all. This is the 2nd year that technology will not be funded. #
• Lindsey: Historic in this budget, this is the first time that we have not fully funded benefits. #
• Lindsey: We are level funding PEEHIP. As a result to the level funding, teachers will face increased co-pays and premiums. #
• Lindsey: We thought it was critical to save teacher jobs. Once we lose good teachers, we don't get them back. #
• Lindsey: We had to resort to some creative thinking. We created a K-12 bond issue to fund school buses. #
• Lindsey: We have a total of $5.49 billion to use in FY2011. #
• Lindsey: Salaries are fully funded. There are no reduction in days, 187. #
• Lindsey: Most items are full funded at the 2010 prorated level. #
• Lindsey: Layoffs should be at a minimum for support personel. #
• The AL House continues to discuss the Education Trust Fund budget. #
• The AL Senate has come back to order after recessing for over an hour. #
• Rep. James Thomas: If we don't experience some growth, we are going to have to do some drastic cutting. #
• Sen. Lowell Barron proposed a special order calendar with Sen. Bedford's BINGO legislation. #
• Sen. Hank Erwin is speaking against the special order calendar and SB380's appearance on the calendar. #
• The AL House passed HB274 the Education Trust Fund budget. #
• The Senate Special Order Calendar contains 2 bills. 1-SB380 (BINGO), 2-SB233 (health care opt out) #
• @JimFolsomJr: Both of the bills on this calendar have a majority support. #
• @JimFolsomJr: As far as this chair is concerned, we will stay here as long as it takes to vote these bills up or down. #
• @SenatorZeb: I urge this body to adopt this special order calendar. The people deserve the right to vote on BINGO and health care reform. #
• The AL Senate adopted the Rules committee's special order calendar with a vote of 20 to 10. #
• SB380 by Sen. Bedford is up for debate in the AL Senate. Sen. Bedford is currently explaining his new "Simple Bingo Bill". #
• Bedford: This is a fair, simple, and honest bill. #
• Sen. Means: You cannot pick and choose what you want the people of AL to vote on. #
• Bedford: I am tired of seeing the Governor and Attorney General fighting over this. I am tired of the midnight raids. #
• Means: Constitutional Amendments, you can't go wrong letting the people vote. #
• Bedford: If you trust the people to vote for you, why don't you trust them to vote on this? #
• Budget Isolation Resolution vote up on SB380….stay tuned. #
• The BIR passed with a vote of 21 to 13. #
• Bedford: I am interested in bringing sanity to this issue in AL. If its going to be legal, lets tax and regulate it. #
• Bedford: No elected official can be appointed to the gaming commission. There will be no cronyism. #
• Bedford: Why are we trying to kill the right of people to vote on an issue that they understand. #
• Bedford: Why should we, the legislature, think we are smarter than the people of Alabama? #
• Sen. Bishop (R): Would the chair say that the people in favor of this BINGO legislation are filibustering themselves. #
• Ross to Bishop about filibuster: Its an educating process. #
• Listen to the AL Senate debate: http://bit.ly/1Do6E #
• Sen. Bobby Singleton: I will give some advise to Mr. Tyson today…don't come to Greene Track. #
• Singleton: We are standing here fighting for the right of people to work. #
• Senator Quinton Ross continues to dicuss SB380 by Sen. Bedford relating to BINGO. #
• Sen. Keahey (D) wants to speak but Sen. Ross (D) will not allow Keahey to speak or even offer a motion. #
• Sen. T. Little: This bill grandfathers in no one, is that correct. Ross: Yes, that is correct. #
• Sen. Barron: We have one or two people who it is important to their health to have a vote. #
• Barron offered a report from Rules, a petition to close debate at 6:15 pm. #
• Barron: We have been debating this bill practically all session. We have been debating BINGO for 3 or 4 years. #
• Barron: We are not the final say on this issue, the people of this state will be the final decider. #
• Barron: I don't drink alcohol, I never have, I never will. #
• Barron: I admire the entrepreneurship of the Indians. #
• Barrron: We are taxing BINGO, we are taxing people who want to be taxed. #
• Barron: We are taxing BINGO, we are taxing people who want to be taxed. #
• @JimFolsomJ to the opposition: When a cloture petition is entered, those who submitted the petition control the mic. #
• Bishop: I want to set the record straight on one thing. I went to the AG for help with illegal gambling, then I went to the Governor. #
• Bishop: I want to set that straight, the Gov didn't dream up this thing. I went to him begging for help. #
• Sanford: You would think the people of AL would send senators down here that actually knew what was going on. #
• Sanford: It is time that the people of AL actually know what is going on in the senate. #
• Sanford: Why is it that they stand up here and say "Let the people vote" but do not let the senators speak on the issue. #
• Sanford: This was not a debate today, this was a show today for the media and the gallery. #
• Sanford: I have a bill, but I am not going to introduce it. I am going to lay it on the floor and let it die. #
• Marsh: What really scares me about this bill, it brings all decisions down to a simple majority of the legislature. #
• Marsh: When this goes before the people of this state, it puts every bit of the power in 18 senators and a simple majority in the House. #
• Sen. Denton: This vote today could change the fate of generations to come. #
• Sen. Denton: Perception is a powerful moral virture, almost as strong as love and hate. #
• Denton: I oppose gambling and always have. We cannot opperate goverment at any level by relying on perception. #
• Denton: Please don't vote yes or no on this issue because of the way I vote. Please don't judge me for the way I will vote. #
• The AL Senate is voting on Rules Committee's cloture petition. #
• With a vote of 21 to 13 the cloture petition prevailed. #
• Senator Keahey is trying to offer an amendment while @ScottBeason continues to say "Mr. President" over and over again in the mic. #
• @JimFolsomJr: The time is up, its time to vote. #
• Senator Ted Little has requested that Sen. Bedford's bill be run at length. #
• @ScottBeason told @JimFolsomJr that the senate was being run like a circus. @JimFolsomJr to @ScottBeason: you are out of order. #
• The AL Senate is voting on passage of SB380 as amended. #
• The AL Senate passed SB380 as amended with a vote of 21 to 13. #
• Bedford's BINGO bill passes the AL Senate with a vote of 21 to 13. #
• SB233 by @ScottBeason is now up for debate on the Senate floor. #
• Sen. Rodger Smitherman is speaking against SB233. #
• SB233 received its budget isolation resolution. #
• The AL Senate stands in adjournment until 10:00 am on Thursday. #

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