Reports show Siegelman’s lottery foundation spent to zero

Bill Poovey

Monday, Jan. 31, 2000 | 4:50 a.m.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Gambling opponents who spent $1.7 million defeating Gov. Don Siegelman's proposed state lottery are confident they can harness the same generous enthusiasm for their fight against video poker when the legislative session starts Tuesday.

Politicians and political groups that spent or collected money last year were required to file their annual financial reports Monday.

Birmingham-based Citizens Against Legalized Lottery (CALL) reported spending $1.7 million and ended 1999 with a zero balance. CALL's largest contribution was $300,000 from Americans for Tax Reform of Washington, D.C. on Oct. 6.

The annual report filed by the Alabama Education Foundation, Siegelman's lottery promoters, shows the foundation spent $5 million and closed out the year with a zero balance.

"My understanding is, the attorneys have to formally close it for the foundation to end," said Rick Dent, an Atlanta public relations consultant who worked for the foundation.

The foundation reported receiving $25,000 from each of four out-of-state donors in the week before the Oct. 12 referendum: Beverly Enterprises of Fort Smith, Ark.; E&D Specialty Stands Inc. of North Collins, N.Y.; Richard F. Scruggs of Pascagoula, Miss. and USG Corp. of Chicago.

Dent declined to comment about Alabama voters rejecting the lottery, which Siegelman proposed to pay for college scholarships, a pre-kindergarten program and school computers.

"I think it would be improper to second guess what the voters said," Dent said.

Jim Cooper, former chief of CALL, said the new Citizens for a Better Alabama that he is heading will fight video poker in the legislative session, and also push a constitutional amendment aimed at blocking any expansion of gambling.

"Video poker is just a benefit for private individuals who run gambling establishments," Cooper said. "What we want to do with this amendment is, if you want to have gambling in Alabama you will have to amend the constitution. Right now it bans lotteries, or games of chance. We want to ban any kind of gambling."

Siegelman has refused to say if his administration will support or oppose attempts to allow video poker machines at Alabama's four dog tracks.