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Special Session date on lottery released, NAACP: Man convicted of church bombing shouldn't be freed

Governor Bentley has set a date for the special session of the legislature. They will discuss proposals for creating a state lottery.  APR Student Reporter, Katie Willem has more...

Governor Robert Bentley had called for a special session for a possible state lottery to begin August 15th. Bentley says legislature wants to approve a constitutional amendment that would let voters statewide decide whether to approve a lottery. Alabama is one of six states without a state lottery.
Chris England represents the 70th House District of Alabama. He says it isn’t just on the government to decide on the issue.
“Necessities require us to look at different ways to fund state government, and this is one of the proposals that’s been put out there.  But I think the best part about that is the final decision on that, if it passes the legislature, is it rests with the people.”
If the proposal passes, it is expected to generate $225 million annually and would look to help fund state services.

Civil rights activists are opposing parole for the last surviving Ku Klux Klan member convicted of murdering four black girls in a 1963 church bombing in Alabama.

Alabama's parole board is set to consider 78-year-old Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr. for early release next Wednesday.

Members of the Birmingham NAACP and other groups held a news conference to protest the possible early release of Blanton.

Blanton has served 15 years of a life sentence for being part of a group of Klansmen who bombed 16th Street Baptist Church.

Blanton has denied involvement in the bombing

Alabama will play host to groups from all around the country trying to better preserve the history of their state.

The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions is hosting the tenth biennial FORUM conference in Mobile this weekend. This is the first time the convention has come to the Port City. The conference will feature a variety of educational sessions and nationally recognized speakers.

Elizabeth Stevens is the Vice President of Alabama Historic Commission. She says the event’s main goal is to show how well Alabama preserves their historic landmarks.

“I think it’s important for the people of America that come to visit here see a side of Mobile and Alabama that they’ll take back and tell our positive story back to their communities”

Stevens says they hope that by Alabama’s bicentennial in 2019 they will be able preserve most of the historic buildings in Mobile from being torn down.

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