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electronic bingo bill

When the committee voted Tuesday, Republican members Mac Gipson of Prattville and Joe Faust of Fairhope appeared to vote “no” while other committee members voted “yes.” One of them, Republican Rep. Harry Shiver of Bay Minette, said he voted  ”yes” and will support the bingo bill when it comes up for debate on the House floor.

“I”m going to allow the 45,000 people in my district to vote on it. There”s no way for me to decide what”s best for them,” Shiver said.

The bill now goes to the full House for action possibly as early as Wednesday.

If approved by the House, it goes to Alabama voters for a statewide referendum cable duct  in November.

The bill would create a commission to regulate the games and tax gambling proceeds at 25 percent, which the bill”s sponsor, Sen. Roger Bedford, called one of the highest rates in the country. Faust said he would have been more likely to support the bill if the tax were higher, maybe 40 percent.

“My district is predominantly a “no” vote,” Faust said of his heavily Republican plastic duct Baldwin County district.

Before the vote, Bedford encouraged committee members to vote “yes.”

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