Latest news with #Gudger
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
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama lawmakers kickoff 2025 session
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — Alabama lawmakers kicked off the 2025 legislative session Tuesday. They said there are a lot of priorities they have on their wish list this year. Senators elected Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) as the new pro tempore. He said the Senate has two priorities: protecting family values and government efficiency. 'I think that we need more of that in government, and I believe that everybody right now would like to see that in general public back on to the statehouse,' Gudger said. 'We're going to do everything we can to fulfill those needs.' In the House, lawmakers have other priorities. Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) mentioned veterans' mental health. 'That's exciting to have buy in from private partners, and I think it's going to be a gamechanger for our veterans,' Ledbetter said. 'So we look forward to getting that passed.' Alabama bill would charge parents with misdemeanor if students is found with gun on campus Ledbetter said crime is also a focus. That's something both sides agree on. 'Birmingham, for a city that has over [180,000, 190,000] people, should have more than 370-plus sworn officers,' state Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) said. 'That right there in itself is putting us more in a pandemic type situation.' 'I think the number one thing you see people want to move to your community is the schools and the crime rates,' state Rep. Chris Blackshear (R-Phenix City) said. 'I think we have an obligation to all of our House districts and Senate districts to make sure that it's a true, safest place that you can live, raise a family and educate your family.' On the matter of gambling in Alabama, leaders from both chambers commented. 'The new Pro Tem hasn't really went over gaming, so I don't know what they are going to try to do,' Ledbetter said. 'That's something they're going to have to handle, so we won't see anything from the House.' 'I think we're leaving a lot of money on the table where it's going to other states,' Gudger said. 'That's my personal opinion. How we handle that as a Senate body, I'll be doing what the majority of this body wants, and that's why I'm going to have to look at that bill whenever it does get filed or if it gets filed.' Gov. Kay Ivey revealed her priorities during her State of the State address Tuesday evening. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama lawmakers plan to prioritize crime and immigration in 2025 legislative session
Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, is sworn in by Alabama Chief Justice Sarah Stewart on Feb. 4, 2025 in the Alabama Senate chamber in the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Gudger won the majority Republicans' nomination for the position late last year. Gudger's wife Heather stands between them. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector Alabama's legislative leaders said Tuesday they would prioritize crime prevention and immigration bills as the 2025 regular session of the state Legislature began. Newly-elected Senate President Pro Tempore Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, said the Senate's to-do list 'is long, and our time to accomplish it is short' in the chamber shortly after being sworn in as the chamber's leader. He added after the chamber recessed that 'protecting Alabama values and protecting families' and 'government efficiency and transparency' are two 'overwhelming themes' lawmakers are considering but did not mention specific legislation or policy. 'I think that we need more of that in government, and I believe that everybody right now would like to see that,' Gudger said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said after the House gaveled out Tuesday that the chamber would prioritize a crime bill package early in the session. He said his staff and Gov. Kay Ivey's staff worked closely to develop the package. 'We'll probably hear the governor say something about those tonight at the State the State,' Ledbetter said. 'So we're excited to see that, and I think it's going to make a difference.' Gudger said that 'key bills' will be introduced soon addressing immigration, such as targeting migrants who are felons and those lacking permanent legal status from using fraudulent documents to buy firearms, though it is already illegal for them to own firearms, while Ledbetter said a priority of the Legislature will be a package of about 10 immigration bills. The speaker said he expects the bills to move through quickly. 'I think most of the ones are just to make sure that the people here are legal, and if they're not, they're not criminals,' Ledbetter said. Another priority for the Legislature will be to change the funding model for the Education Trust Fund to be a weighted model. Money is currently delivered to schools under a formula that relies on average daily attendance. Legislators have been speaking for months about changes that would provide extra money for schools with special needs populations, such as students in poverty; English language learners and rural schools. 'I think it's just the thing about it: You change something that has been changed in 30 years, you need to try to go through the process and make sure we don't hurt people,' Ledbetter said. Ledbetter said the new model will benefit poverty stricken school systems and be an overall benefit to the state. 'And that's what they're doing. They've done a great job of being cautious,' he said of House ETF Committee Chair Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, and Senate Finance and Taxation Education Chair Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur. 'But I do think once we get it changed, it'd be better for the state, better for the students in the state.' Gudger said the chamber aimed to provide quality education from K-12 to higher education and retaining graduates in the state, though he did not mention specific legislation. 'We want to be able to retain that knowledge and that sophistication when they get their graduate degrees into Alabama, to stay in Alabama, and we're able to retain that knowledge here, instead of it going out of state. He also pointed to potential gambling legislation but said he has not seen any bills and is not part of the discussion. 'Right now, people are talking about it, but I haven't seen anything,' he said. House members have been more reluctant to discuss gambling after a bitter fight between the House and Senate over a comprehensive proposal last year. Ledbetter said 'we're not going to do anything on this side' related to gambling. 'That's something they'll have to handle,' he said. 'But we won't see anything from the House.' Senators also honored former Senate Pro Tempore Greg Reed, R-Jasper, who left the Senate last year after Gov. Kay Ivey to become Senior Advisor to Workforce Transformation as the Department of Labor is rebranded as the Department of Workforce. Reed, speaking to the chamber, thanked Senators for their work while he served as leader of the Senate. 'What a group of enormously capable, wildly intelligent, continuously dedicated men and women that are about the business of doing all the things important to people of the state of Alabama,' he said to the body. Gudger also said to the Senate body that he'll focus on teamwork 'to ensure that every member feels included, valued, respected, and heard,' a theme he promoted in his bid to become the Senate's leader. 'Let's all of us embrace the spirit of Alabama and resolve as one man and woman, Democrat, Republican, black and white, liberal and conservative, to work together for the betterment of the citizens that all of us took an oath to serve,' he said. Ivey was scheduled to deliver the State of the State address, outlining her priorities for the session, Tuesday evening. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
