By Kim Chandler | The Associated Press

MONTGOMERY (AP) — Gov. Robert Bentley’s lottery bill heads to a possible Alabama Senate floor vote on Friday after senators rejected a broader plan to allow electronic gambling machines at multiple locations around the state.

The governor, in a news conference outside the Alabama Capitol, urged lawmakers to approve the bill and put the idea of creating a lottery to the first statewide vote since 1999.

“Let’s allow the people back home to vote. Let’s allow them to make the final decision on whether or not they want a lottery in this state to help the people of the state of Alabama,” Bentley said.

The governor gets his chance after the broader gambling bill collapsed Thursday in the Alabama Senate. However, Bentley’s bill still faces steep odds in an Alabama Legislature sharply divided over gambling. Some lawmakers oppose all legalized gambling and others have staunch positions on excluding, or including, electronic gambling and as well as different ideas on how lottery proceeds should be used

Senators stopped debate on the combined lottery and gambling machine bill after it became clear the bill did not have the 21 votes needed to clear the Alabama Senate. The revamped bill, in addition to a state lottery, would also allow electronic lottery terminals — which resemble slot machines or video poker games— at four state dog tracks and at locations in Lowndes and Houston counties.

Senators unsuccessfully tried to bring the bill to a vote with a motion to end debate. Eleven senators wanted to bring the bill to a vote while 20, mostly Republicans, voted to keep debate going. Senators then carried the bill over, essential dooming it for the special session.

The debate highlighted the Senate divisions over gambling.

Sen. Bill Holtzclaw, who voted against ending debate, said the bill was an “absolute trainwreck.”

“The headlines should not read that the Senate killed the lottery. The headlines would read that the Senate killed a bad lottery bill,” Holtzclaw, R-Madsion, said.

Sen. Paul Bussman, R-Cullman, said a lottery terminal was essentially “a slot machine.”

Democrats criticized GOP opposition to the bill, calling it the best chance to get money to the state’s Medicaid program.

“We have children in this state that are sick, families that are suffering,” Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, said. “You want to legislate morality here and tell grown folk what they can do with their money,” Singleton said.

“If we are not going to vote for this, it’s time to look at real tax reform in this state,” Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, said.

Alabama is one of six states — along with Mississippi, Utah, Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada — without a state lottery. Voters in 1999 rejected then-Gov. Don Siegelman’s proposed lottery that came under heavy opposition from church groups and out-of-state gambling interests.

Many lawmakers said opposition has dissipated since that 1999 defeat, but lottery proposals face a difficult calculus in the GOP-controlled Legislature where Republicans are split on the idea of legalized gambling. Many Democrats want to help the dog tracks where electronic bingo casinos and workers were put out of business by state enforcement actions.

Lawmakers have been pessimistic about the lottery’s chances since the special session began.

Sen. Jim McClendon, who sponsored both lottery bills, said lawmakers who criticized the larger proposal, now have their chance to vote on a “simple” lottery bill.

“It’s going to be an interesting day tomorrow,” McClendon said.

Bentley brought lawmakers into special session to consider a state lottery or other means to fund the state’s perpetually cash-strapped Medicaid program. Bentley estimated a lottery alone would raise $225 million. McClendon projected the machine bill would raise more than $400 million, and $100 million of that would be steered to education.

Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, predicted Bentley’s bill would also go down in defeat, claiming GOP senators had no intention of approving it either

“This is not going to pass out of here. We’re just going through a shell game,” Smitherman said as lawmakers began debate.