Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday night called for the creation of a limited school voucher program and expressed support for two controversial measures before lawmakers this year: a gambling bill and absentee voting regulations. did.
Lawmakers opened the 2024 session with key votes on gambling, elections and education looming. Ivey used her annual State of the State address to outline her priorities for the year.
The Republican governor has expressed support for a gambling bill being developed in the Alabama House of Representatives that would allow for a statewide vote on the state lottery and some casino sites. There has not been a statewide vote on gambling since former Gov. Don Siegelman’s proposed lottery was defeated in 1999. The bill has stalled amid a mix of conservative opposition to legalizing gambling as a revenue source and a dispute over who would get casino licenses.
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“It’s time for Alabama voters to have another say on this issue,” Ivey said Tuesday night.
Lawmakers who reviewed the draft bill said it would authorize a lottery and up to 10 casino facilities in the state. Republican Rep. Chris Blackshear, who is sponsoring the gambling bill, said the bill could be introduced as early as Wednesday, but said “everything is changing day by day.”
“We have come too far,” he said. “All we’re trying to do is put together a good package so that Alabamians can decide what they want. In the end, their vote will decide.”
May 15, 2019 at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. In his 2024 State of the State address, Gov. Kay Ivey expressed his support for holding a statewide vote on education vouchers, new restrictions on absentee voting, and the legalization of gambling and casinos. (Julie Bennett/Getty Images)
The bill would need bipartisan support to be approved. The Alabama Constitution currently prohibits lotteries and casinos. To change that, the measure would need to be approved by three-fifths of members in both chambers, then approved by a majority of voters in a statewide vote.
Democratic Rep. Kelvin Lawrence of Hayneville, whose district includes long-running gambling establishments, said the bill would bring “fair treatment and fairness” to places where voters had previously approved some gambling. He said he was looking forward to it. He said he wanted to consider the bill in its entirety before committing to a yes vote.
“The devil is always in the details,” Lawrence said.
Mr. Ivey also announced a proposal to create an education savings account that would allow families to use public funds for private school tuition and other expenses. The proposed $100 million fund was originally intended to provide tuition vouchers of up to $7,000 to low- and moderate-income families and families of students with disabilities. That’s less than the $500 million proposal introduced last year that critics said would drain too much money from public education.
“My goal is to keep the program on track to be fully universal while maintaining full and complete support for public education,” Ivey said.
The bill, titled the Creating Hope and Opportunity for Students’ Education Act (CHOOSE Act), would allow people with incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level (the equivalent of about $77,460 for a family of three) It allows families access to general education. Dollars for private school tuition and other costs. Income limits will disappear after three years, but low-income households and households with students with disabilities will receive priority funding.
“I think we’ve landed in a very good spot with a healthy but manageable amount to open an education savings account,” said state Sen. Arthur Orr, the bill’s sponsor, who will move the bill to committee next week. He added that he expected that.
Democrats have expressed concerns about pouring public money into private schools, but some Republicans may want a more drastic proposal. A rival bill introduced Tuesday would provide up to $400 million in vouchers, similar to one introduced last year.
Ivey also expressed support for a Senate bill headed for a committee vote Wednesday that would make it a crime to help someone vote by absentee ballot unless they are an immediate family member or household member. A similar bill sparked intense debate last year. Opponents say this is an attempt to make it harder for people to vote. Republicans say the change is necessary to combat voter fraud.
The bill would make it a misdemeanor to order, pre-fill, request, retrieve, or deliver an absentee ballot for a household member or person who is not a household member. If paid, the fine increases to a felony. The bill would exempt election officials from assisting people and those who are blind, disabled, or illiterate from asking someone for help.
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Ivey said the bill closes “a loophole that allows unaccountable paid political operatives to pressure people through the absentee voting process.”
Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) questioned the need for the bill.
“I think this is a Republican-wide issue. I think the states are jumping on something,” Singleton said. “Ballot harvesting is not an issue in this state.”
