Tennessee moving to legalize gambling

Marta W. Aldrich

Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001 | 10:26 a.m.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Sen. Steve Cohen has pushed for a lottery in Tennessee for 16 years but has never before gotten a lottery resolution out of committee so fast.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, with three new members all favoring a state lottery, approved the resolution 7-2 Tuesday on the Legislature's first official day of committee business this session.

There was no debate -- only assurances from Cohen that the legislation would not open the door to casinos in Tennessee.

Supporters believe the lottery resolution has its best chance ever for passage.

It now goes to the Senate Calendar Committee, and Cohen hopes to schedule a vote on the Senate floor before Valentine's Day.

The Memphis Democrat believes he has the 22 votes needed for passage in the Senate, which historically has been the stumbling block to lottery legislation.

The resolution would ask voters if they want to amend the state Constitution to allow a lottery. Proceeds would be used to establish college scholarships and to fund pre-kindergarten programs and school construction.

It won a simple majority in the House and Senate last session, and both chambers must pass it again during this session - but by a two-thirds majority.

The House sponsor is Rep. Chris Newton, R-Turtletown, who expects comfortable passage in that chamber as well.

Newton says he hopes to usher the measure through the House early in the session. He has placed it on next Tuesday's agenda for a subcommittee of the State and Local Government panel.

"It's time to put it to rest once and for all," Newton said. "Everyone's mind is made up for the most part, and I expect it to go almost as rapidly in the House committees. We'll have a little more discussion though than today (in the Senate Judiciary)."

Cohen introduced the resolution by thanking Gov. Don Sundquist for his support in Monday's State of the State address.

The governor said he would support "the people's right to vote on a lottery as long as the proceeds from a lottery are earmarked for higher education and pre-kindergarten."

Voting against the lottery resolution were committee chairman Curtis Person, R-Memphis, and David Fowler, R-Signal Mountain.

Voting for it were Cohen; Micheal Williams, R-Maynardville; and the three new members to the committee: Doug Jackson, D-Dickson; Larry Trail, D-Murfreesboro; and Mark Norris, R-Collierville.

Both Trail and Norris won Senate seats in November previously held by lottery opponents Andy Womack and Tom Leatherwood, respectively.

If both chambers pass the resolution, the question goes on the ballot for the 2002 gubernatorial election. It would have to win a majority of the votes cast for governor.

If it fails, Sen. Ward Crutchfield, D-Chattanooga, is waiting in the wings with his own bill calling for a constitutional convention on the lottery question. He has said he will introduce his bill only if Cohen's resolution fails.

All eight states bordering Tennessee have some form of legalized gambling -- four with state lotteries.

Lottery supporters have long complained that Tennessee was losing revenue to bordering states, and a 1997 study estimated a lottery could generate net proceeds of more than $302 million.

Gambling opponents say lotteries merely prey on the poor and those who need their paychecks most for daily living expenses. They also worry it would open the door to other forms of gambling in Tennessee and could lead to corruption, bankruptcy and addiction.