Latest news with #GarlanGudger
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What you missed on the legislature's final day of the session
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — It was a little before midnight when lawmakers adjourned 'sine die' for the last time Wednesday. Democrats had a lot to say in both chambers, while Republicans touted a successful session. In the Senate, Democrats filibustered bills for several hours. They said Republicans refused to take up bills from their party. 'All y'all want to take something home, all of us want to take something home,' said Sen. Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham). 'And, the way it is now, it ain't working out like that. So I hope y'all go and reassess, when we come back, how we're gonna deal with ourselves in here.' But Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman), Senate Pro Tempore, said they worked to make sure everyone had a voice this session. 'They both were able to talk about what was going on, on each particular bill,' Gugder said. 'And we still gave the voice to everybody who needed to be at the well. So, I think it was a win for both parties. And I think it's a win for Alabama to get a lot of these local bills out of the way.' What was approved, and what failed, in the 2025 Alabama legislative session A bill expanding criminal immunity for police officers was one of the last debated at the well. The House agreed with the Senate, sending it to the Governor's desk. Representatives said there were some bills they were excited about and others they wish would have passed. 'Look, this is what we do. It's all about compromises,' said Rep. Susan DuBose (R-Hoover). 'And it's the best that you can do. Because, if you wait around for the perfect bill, you won't get anything done.' 'Worker's comp for school employees- I think that was awesome, because I've dealt with the school system,' said Rep. Curtis Travis (D-Tuscaloosa). 'I think the bill for paid leave has been very tremendous- a very important one.' House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said, 'I cannot be prouder of this body of the work you've done this session. You know, if you think about all the bills we've passed, it's affected people all across our state.' Sen. Gudger said, in a few days, leadership meetings will start back up for next year. He said they will consider rule changes for the next session to make sure everyone in their chamber is treated as fairly as possible. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
03-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Alabama Senate leader says gambling proposal has ‘too few votes' to pass
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Republican leader of the Alabama Senate said Thursday that proposed gambling legislation — which would allow a lottery, sports betting and several casinos — has too few votes to pass this legislative session. Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger issued the statement after being asked about the outlook for the proposal drafted by another senator. 'With 12 meeting days remaining in the session, both budgets still awaiting approval, and other important bills and measures demanding focus and attention, the comprehensive gaming bill released today is simply too little, too late, and has too few votes to pass,' Gudger, a Republican from Cullman, said in the statement released by his office. Republican Sen. Greg Albritton on Thursday released a draft version of gambling legislation that he hoped would break a 25-year legislative stalemate on gambling. The proposal would authorize a state lottery as well as sports betting and certain types of electronic gambling machines at six sites across the state. It would also require the governor to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which would allow casino games at the tribe's three Alabama locations and at the former horse track it purchased in Jefferson County. Albritton argued the proposal would bring in needed revenue to the state. The proposal could bring in between $598 million and $928 million in total revenue, according to an estimate provided by his office. 'We know we've got federal money drying up. We're doing the cutting of taxes in lots of areas, and we've got an economy that is questionable right now,' Albritton said. He said it is also time to put the issue before voters. It has been 25 years since Alabama voters last went to the polls on the issue of gambling. Alabama voters in 1999 rejected a lottery proposed by then-Gov. Don Siegelman. Over the next quarter-century, lawmakers proposed various bills to allow a lottery, casinos or sports betting. But the measures failed amid disagreements over where casinos would be located and opposition to gambling as a revenue source. Albritton, whose district includes the headquarters for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, called his proposal a scaled-back version of previous bills. Legislation proposed last year would have allowed as many 10 casinos across the state. 'It is very trimmed down. It is the least amount that I think we can do that is economically viable,' Albritton said. Some of the behind-the-scenes negotiations on the bill centered on the type of games that could be offered and how the revenue would be used.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alabama Senate leader declares gambling, lottery bills dead for session
Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, speaks to his colleagues after being sworn into the leadership position on Feb. 4, 2025 in the Alabama Senate chamber at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Gudger on Thursday said the Senate would not take up lottery or gambling proposals in the 2025 session. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The leader of the Alabama Senate said Thursday there would be no efforts to create a lottery or expand gambling in the state in the current legislative session. Senate President Pro Tempore Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, said in a statement emailed after the chamber adjourned Thursday that passing gambling legislation in the chamber will require 'long-term and intense negotiations among members' and votes to be secured before beginning another legislative session. 'With 12 meeting days remaining in the session, both budgets still awaiting approval, and other important bills and measures demanding focus and attention, the comprehensive gaming bill released today is simply too little, too late, and has too few votes to pass,' Gudger said in the statement. The Senate leader's statement came as Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, had been shopping what he described as a 'trimmed-down' version of a gambling package filed last year that failed to pass the Legislature. That package included a constitutional amendment and legislation to legalize a state lottery and gambling, which stalled in the Senate. Albritton did not push back against Gudger's statement in a phone interview Thursday afternoon, saying that 'the last part of that phrase is the most accurate.' He also confirmed he's not introducing a bill in the 2025 legislative session. 'We're not going to drop a bill this year,' Albritton said. The gambling package failed last year amid disputes over what kinds of gambling would be offered and distribution of revenues. House sponsors were sharply critical of changes the Senate made to the package, and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said in February that the chamber would not bring its own version of the legislation. The state's 1901 Constitution outlaws lotteries and gambling. Gambling that exists in the state operates under local constitutional amendments or on land owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, a federally-recognized tribe that runs casinos in Atmore, Montgomery and Wetumpka. Efforts to create a lottery or expand gambling have been stymied by divisions among Republicans in the Legislature; disputes among gambling interests and disagreements over distribution of gambling revenue. Alabama is the only state east of the Mississippi without a lottery. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Associated Press
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Alabama Senate elects new leader to kick off 2025 legislative session
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Senate elected a new leader on the first day of the 2025 legislative session on Tuesday. Senators voted 33-0 to confirm Sen. Garlan Gudger from Cullman, Alabama, as the new Senate president pro tempore. In his acceptance speech, Gudger said that the Senate was likely to 'mirror' the federal government's immigration policies by considering bills that would target undocumented immigrants who have arrest warrants or who are charged with crimes. 'We must turn back the flood of illegal immigration that erases our borders, strains our cities and drains our resources,' Gudger said. He also said that he would prioritize bills that would improve education for 'every child in every Zip code' and address crime. The former Senate Pro Tempore Greg Reed stepped down to join Gov. Kay Ivey's administration as the first secretary of the Alabama Department of Workforce, an agency that is slated to replace the Department of Labor to focus more on increasing Alabama's labor force participation rate. Gudger was elected to the Senate in 2018 and reelected in 2022. He previously served for 14 years on the Cullman City Council. Gudger emphasized that he would work with the Senate's Democratic minority in his new role. 'I understand a good idea is a good idea whether your name is followed by a D or an R,' Gudger said.
