Recordkeeping requirement would overburden makers and customers of craft beer, wine, and spirits.
ABC Considers New Regulation
During the special legislative session that began Aug. 15, the major topic of discussion was whether to give Alabamans a vote on instituting a state lottery, which would raise revenue to fund Medicaid and other state services. In order for the constitutional amendment authorizing the lottery to go before voters in November, both the House and Senate had to pass the measure by a three-fifths vote before Aug. 24. Both lottery bills died during the Special Session.
Two proposals have been under consideration by the Senate. One (SB3) is from Gov. Robert Bentley. It would institute a lottery run by a commission of seven members who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. The state would be able to enter into agreements with Powerball and other multi-state lotteries, and proceeds from the lottery—Gov. Bentley estimates $225 million—would go to the state general fund.
The second proposal (SB11), from Sen. Jim McClendon, who also sponsors SB3, goes further by allowing electronic lottery terminals to be installed in Birmingham, Greene, Macon, and Mobile counties. Before the bill was called for a vote, amendments were approved to add more lottery terminal locations, including Houston and Lowndes counties, and to push the statewide vote on the lottery amendment to a special election date after the Nov. 8 general election. Sen. McClendon estimates that the electronic lottery terminals would raise $127 million per year, and a statewide and Powerball lottery would raise $285 to $310 million per year.
For SB11, the Senate voted no to a cloture motion that would have stopped the debate on the lottery. If the motion had been approved, it would have meant a vote could be called for the bill, and Sen. McClendon told AL.com that it would have likely had the votes to pass. The Senate’s vote effectively killed the bill for this session.
After the defeat of SB 3, Sen. McClendon announced he would bring the lottery bills back during the 2017 Regular Session that begins in February.
