Alabama governor tries again to create a lottery

Phillip Rawls

Friday, May 17, 2002 | 10:23 a.m.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Gov. Don Siegelman is taking a second chance on a state lottery and creating what might be a galvanizing issue for his opponents and Alabama voters.

"It's time for a lottery to benefit education," Siegelman said in a campaign swing across the state Wednesday.

Siegelman used the promise of a state lottery for education to unseat Republican Gov. Fob James in 1998, but then Alabama voters defeated Siegelman's lottery proposal 54 percent to 46 percent in October 1999. Lottery opponents, including religious leaders, attacked the lottery on moral grounds and claimed it was designed to help make money for Siegelman's friends.

Siegelman said he's bringing back the lottery proposal in his re-election campaign due to requests from Alabama voters.

"A lot of people have said, 'Governor, they tricked us, they fooled us ... they said they would bring forward their own plans, maybe even another lottery,' " Siegelman said in Huntsville.

Siegelman began his tour in Phenix City, just across the Chattahoochee River from Georgia and its state lottery. Siegelman said Alabamians have spent hundreds of millions of dollars buying Georgia lottery tickets and supporting education in Georgia.

"It's time to keep that money right here in Alabama," he said.

One of Siegelman's opponents in the Democratic primary June 4 said voters will see that Siegelman is recycling old ideas because he has no new ones.

"He didn't have a plan for education then and he doesn't have a plan for education now," Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bishop said. Bishop added that if elected, he would not propose a lottery to fund education programs.

All three Republican candidates for governor were quick to criticize Siegelman's lottery plan.

Greenville businessman Tim James said it is a sign Siegelman is worried about Bishop gaining popularity in the Democratic primary. He predicted the lottery will become a hotly debated topic in the general election.

U.S. Rep. Bob Riley said Siegelman's decision to bring back the lottery, despite the decisive 1999 referendum, will show voters "it's time for a change, not reruns of bad ideas."

Lt. Gov. Steve Windom said the lottery puts a new perspective on the Republican primary because the issue will be who can best fight Siegelman's proposal.

"The Republican nominee for governor must be the candidate who can fight toe-to-toe with Don Siegelman. My track record is unquestionable on this issue," the lieutenant governor said.

The Republicans are offering a variety of education alternatives that don't involve additional revenue. Riley proposed appointing a blue-ribbon panel of business leaders to study school spending and find the best ways to spend tax dollars most effectively. Windom proposed budgeting off last year's revenues so there would be no proration. And James advocated shifting existing funding to emphasize reading in the early grades.

Siegelman dismissed his opponents, saying they were making "mealy-mouthed comments" but had no plans to put more money into education. He also said their comments will show voters that "the differences between me and my opponents are as clear as night and day."

Siegelman's original lottery plan would have allocated the money to college scholarships, pre-kindergarten programs, and computer technology improvements. His new lottery proposal would put the money directly into the state education budget, where he said state leaders could distribute it to a variety of programs from preschool to college.

Siegelman said that in addition to a lottery, he has three other education-related proposals:

Changing Alabama's constitution to allow local school systems to hold tax referendums without going to the Legislature.

Making out-of-state corporations "pay their fair share to our schools." Siegelman had similar tax hike proposals that were rejected by the Legislature in December.

Not raising taxes on consumers.

"My plan will invest hundreds of millions of new dollars in education and does it without raising one penny of new taxes on the working families of Alabama," Siegelman said.