Alabama Legislature has big worries

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Another Day, Another Dollar
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The Alabama Legislature's final day on Monday could look like a Hollywood action movie mixing money, sex, gambling, and God in a whirlwind of political adventure.

On the other hand, the last day could turn into the equivalent of a movie short with little more being addressed than the state operating budget and the taxes needed to make it balance.

It all depends on whether the legislative leadership succeeds with its tightly focused agenda.

The Legislature will start the last workday of the 2004 regular session at 10 a.m. Monday, and if tradition holds, it won't end until close to midnight.

Gov. Bob Riley said the emphasis on the final day has to be completing the $1.3 billion state General Fund budget and accompanying taxes, including a cigarette tax hike, higher fees for filing most types of civil court cases, and higher severance taxes on oil and natural gas for one year.

Riley said Friday he is optimistic the Legislature will complete its work on the budget and revenue bills, but if the lawmakers fail, the result is obvious.

"If any of these bills go down, there is no question we will have to come back in a special session, which will cost $400,000," he said.

Senate President Pro Tem Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, said the Senate's top priority will be budgets and accompanying bills. He said the Legislature has a constitutional duty to approve state budgets, and he intends to accomplish that.

Awaiting action in the House on the final day are two constitutional amendments - one banning same-sex marriages and the other expanding high-stakes electronic bingo games to all of Alabama's dog tracks and taxing the games' net revenue at 16 percent.

The House Rules Committee has recommended a work agenda Monday that leaves both measures off the day's agenda.

Rules Committee Chairman Jack Venable, D-Tallassee, said they were left off because gambling opponents were threatening a session-killing filibuster over the bingo bill and the Black Legislative Caucus was threatening the same thing over the same-sex marriage ban.

House Speaker Seth Hammett agreed with Venable's strategy. "I don't want anything to interfere with our action on the budget and related bills," Hammett, D-Andalusia, said.

Hammett said he would have voted for the gambling bill, but it did not appear to have enough votes to pass. Venable said proponents of the bingo legislation and the same-sex marriage ban may try to amend the work agenda to get the measures considered.

Milton McGregor, operator of dog tracks in Birmingham and Macon County, said the votes on the bingo legislation are close.

"I know it should come up because the people should have a right to vote on this issue," he said.

Rep. Alvin Holmes, a member of the Black Legislative Caucus, said he is ready to lead a filibuster if the same-sex marriage ban ends up before the House on Monday.

"The government of this state does not need to get into the business of regulating people's lives," Holmes, D-Montgomery, said. "I support same-sex marriage from the point of view that it's not going to interfere with anyone else's marriage."

An Associated Press survey of legislators shortly before the legislative session began Feb. 3 found that 86 percent of the House and 73 percent of the Senate supported a constitutional ban. But as the session moved along, several members expressed concern about putting the constitutional amendment on the Nov. 2 general election ballot, when it could become an issue in the president race and other contests.

John Giles, president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, said he was disappointed the threat of a filibuster may keep the same-sex marriage ban in the background Monday.

"We need more involvement of black ministers in this state. The Black Caucus always votes for gambling, against pro-life legislation and now they have added protecting the gay agenda to their platform," he said Friday.

God could play a prominent role in the legislative debate Monday.

The House's recommended work agenda for Monday includes a bill that would protect Alabama teachers from punishment if they offer alternative theories on the origin of man, including creation by God.

Another bill awaiting final approval Monday in the Senate would require public schools to display the national motto "In God We Trust."

Giles' group has been encouraging its members to call legislators to ask them to make the bills part of Monday's action.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com
 

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