The Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee on Friday voted out the House-passed bill.
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The lottery narrowly passed the Senate Friday, and is in House committee today.
And a separate bill, to shore up the state’s Medicaid program with money from the BP oil spill settlement, won’t come to a Senate vote until Wednesday, Senate president pro tempore Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said.
Gov. Robert Bentley is seeking the first statewide vote on a lottery since Alabamians voted down a lottery in 1999. Lawmakers must give final approval to the legislation by the end of Wednesday to put the lottery on the November 8 ballot.
During a series of amendments added to SB3 Friday, senators meant to designate 90 percent of available revenue from a lottery to go to the General Fund and 10 percent to go to public education.
Lottery legislation is getting a public hearing in the Alabama House of Representatives. The bill cleared the Senate without a protracted fight after a number of amendments.
Meanwhile, Senators may wait and see what happens with the lottery before they cast a vote on the BP bill.
The lottery proposal is the centerpiece of a special session called by Bentley to find ways to get more funding to the state’s perpetually cash-strapped Medicaid program.
The Senate’s current version of the bill sets aside the first $100 million in proceeds for the Alabama Medicaid Agency but does not include money for education, as some Senators thought it did. A majority of voters must also approve the measure in a referendum.
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Brewbaker and Bussman said they disagreed with the attempt to stop debate.
