Few lawmakers sign anti-gambling pledge

Bob Johnson

Monday, May 17, 2004 | 8:51 a.m.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Most members of the Alabama Legislature are not ready to promise they will never support legislation to legalize gambling or that they would refuse to accept campaign donations from gambling interests.

Only 21 of 140 legislators signed a pledge circulated by organizations opposed to gambling. Representatives of the organizations had said they hoped a majority of legislators would sign the pledge and stop efforts to pass legislation such as the "Bingo for Books and Beds" bill.

The bill is a constitutional amendment that would legalize electronic bingo games with unlimited cash prizes at the state's four greyhound racetracks, with tax revenue going to buy textbooks for public school classrooms and to Medicaid for state-financed nursing home beds. It has passed the Alabama Senate and is pending in the House, where it could come up for debate Monday, the final day of the 2004 regular session.

John Giles, president of the Christian Coalition in Alabama, said he was disappointed that the majority of lawmakers would not sign the pledge.

"The overarching message this pledge drive sends to citizens is that the gambling interests control the Alabama Legislature," Giles said.

Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, who has supported legislation to legalize casinos and to create a statewide lottery, said he's not surprised so few lawmakers signed the petition.

"They've got to run for office also. Just because they are opposed to gambling doesn't mean the public is opposed to gambling," Rogers said.

After a session in which lawmakers have struggled to balance the General Fund budget, Rogers said the Legislature is going to have to eventually realize that gambling is a way to raise revenue without raising taxes.

"Somewhere along the line, Alabama is going to have to realize we need a new source of revenue," Rogers said.

Sen. Hank Erwin, R-Montevallo, is a former Christian radio talk show host, who led a filibuster against the bingo bill before it passed the Senate. He was one of only three senators to sign the promise not to vote for gambling legislation.

"I would have liked to have seen more senators sign the pledge. But senators like to be very independent thinking and don't like to be pinned down about anything," Erwin said.

He said he was also disappointed that he was not able to stop the bingo bill when it was in the Senate.

"I was hoping that more senators would see that this is not bingo, it's pure gambling," Erwin said.

Rep. Greg Albritton, R-Excel, signed the pledge and said he plans to vote against the bingo bill if it comes up in the House. But Albritton said he feels many legislators are afraid to tie themselves to always voting for or against a specific issue out of fear the pledge "could be used against them."

One representative said he does not sign pledges promising to vote a certain way on issues.

"I don't sign any of those kind of things. I don't think it's being a good legislator if I sign an absolute statement like that," Rep. Ken Guin, D-Carbon Hill, said. "You don't know what's going to be presented in the future. We owe it to people to keep an open mind on issues."