State Lawmakers Stalled Over Electronic Bingo

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama Senate has spent another day
with proponents of a Macon County gambling bill filibustering their
own bill.
The Senate has debated the bill off and on since late February
while proponents try to round up enough votes to pass it. So far,
they haven't succeeded.
Only six meeting days remain in the 2008 legislative session.
The Senate's presiding officer, Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr., said
Thursday he's not worried. Folsom said the Senate always gets busy
in the closing days of a session.
The bill's sponsor, Democratic Sen. Myron Penn of Union Springs,
is threatening to retaliate against other senators' bills if his
legislation dies.
The bill is a proposed constitutional amendment that would
change the regulation of electronic bingo at the Macon County dog
track. It would also require the track to pay more to Macon County
governments, and it would protect the track's machines from adverse
court rulings against gambling in other counties.