Montgomery, AL – The Alabama House has refused to consider a bill that would have legalized electronic bingo games at greyhound dog tracks in Mobile and Birmingham.
Tax revenue from the games would have gone to help fund the state's cash-strapped Medicaid Agency.
The House voted 55-39 to bring up the bill for debate. That's short of the three-fifths vote needed to bring an issue to the House floor for debate. Rep. John Knight of Montgomery later moved that the measure be considered and it failed the second time on a 57-39 vote.
The sponsor, Rep. Marcel Black of Tuscumbia, said he could try again later in the session to pass the bill.
The measure was a constitutional amendment, which would also have to be approved by voters.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)