Alabama lawmakers considering gambling, employee unions, workforce bills

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Bills that deal with gambling, employee unions and workforce participation are up for consideration in the final days of the legislative session.

Right now, state lawmakers are in the middle of negotiating the future of gambling in a conference committee. Three senators and three House members are trying to find middle ground.

The two chambers disagree over allowing sports betting and casinos. The debate should continue this week.

“They had good conversations from my understanding. Hadn’t had a chance to go one on one with our conferees but spoke to them in passing a couple of times and they said it went well,” House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said last week.

The House Speaker added his chamber will be debating an employee union bill this week.

The Senate already approved a bill to withhold money from companies that voluntarily recognize a union without holding a secret ballot election.

“To them, it’s all about money,” said Ledbetter. “They get money from those employees, and they’re saying they’re trying to help them, protect them, but that’s not the case. They got there because of the jobs that was created by the company coming to our state.”

A series of bills that aim to get Alabamians back to work is picking up steam.

On Tuesday, the lieutenant governor and others are expected to speak in support of legislation that would create a child care tax credit encouraging businesses to offer child care services to their employees. It is a part of the bipartisan Working for Alabama legislative package.

“I think we all achieve more when we work together, and certainly this package of bills, I think, proves that,” said Ledbetter.

The logic behind the child care tax credit bill is to support working families and eliminate a barrier preventing parents from entering the workforce.

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