Alabama State Rep. Alvin Holmes said Wednesday he will introduce a bill to set up a state lottery during a special session of the Legislature that begins Monday.
"The Legislature is going into session at 12 (noon). At 12:15, I'm introducing the lottery bill."
Holmes said the proceeds would be split evenly between the General Fund and the Education Trust Fund.
Gov. Bob Riley's press secretary, David Azbell, said the governor is opposed to a lottery.
"At the most, a lottery would be projected to bring in $100 million a year, which doesn't really address our problems," Azbell said. "A lottery is just one more regressive tax. I don't think the solution to Alabama's problems lies in scratch-off lottery tickets."
The state faces a projected $675 million shortfall for next budget year and will meet in a special session beginning Monday to adopt a budget.
On Tuesday, voters rejected Riley's $1.2 billion tax and accountability plan that was designed to close that budget gap and provide more reliable funding for schools and state services.
Holmes said he decided to introduce the lottery bill because of the defeat of the amendment.
"We have no tax base or nothing, so we've got to get the money from somewhere," Holmes said. "People are going to Florida and Georgia every day. We might as well get the money being given to other states."
Florida and Georgia have state lotteries, and Tennessee voters approved one this year.
Mississippi does not have a lottery but does have casino gambling.
Rep. Mac Gipson, R-Prattville, said Holmes' bill stood little chance of passing.
"I would say slim and none," Gipson said. "I don't think it's the time and place and I don't think the state ought to be in the lottery business. I don't think we need to visit that again."
In 1999, former Gov. Don Siegelman proposed a lottery to benefit new education programs. It passed the Legislature but was rejected by voters by a margin of 54 percent to 46 percent.
Siegelman's lottery was projected to raise about $150 million a year.
Holmes said he has asked the Legislative Fiscal Office to estimate how much money a lottery would raise. He estimated it could be as much as $300 million a year.
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