Bingo Debate On Wednesday

Electronic bingo is a game of chance.
In Montgomery, it's a bitter war of words.

Representative Hank Erwin, a republican from Monevallo says, "I think you could just as well by taking your money, going into your bathroom, putting a strobe light over the commode and just throwing the money down the drain. It's the same thing as if you went to a casino."

Democrat Senator Lowell Barron argues, "They have full blown casinos all over Mississippi and the last time I was over there, they've got new roads everywhere and Mississippi is not coming apart at the seams. Its not going to heck in a hand basket."

You'll likely hear more of the same Wednesday morning when Alabama senators debate Roger Bedford's proposed constitutional amendment to tax, regulate, and limit electronic bingo.

Bedford asked for the senate to adjourn early Tuesday so fellow lawmakers could read his bill and be ready to debate it wednesday morning, "I've even got a couple of cheat sheets here to show em' in synopsis version and make sure everybody has a copy. They have a chance to look at it ...decide if they want to amend it.

Legislators can go back and forth as long as they want.
The question is, does the bill have the twenty-one votes needed to pass the senate, and will it ever leave the legislature?

Republican Senator Scott Beason says, "There's a lot of..a lot of talk. A lot of wrangling going on, somebody may change their name overnight.
I'm not confident of anything. When you're talking about a one vote difference..anything could happen".

Bedford says, "I'm very hopeful that it will. I think the people have heard from their constituents back home. I certainly have and even people who aren't for electronic bingo want the right to vote on it. This is America. Our veterans have fought and died for this right for us to enjoy and I think this is an issue whose time has come.
It's time to get it off the table.
Lets let the people decide it once and for all".