Alabama bill on historical horse racing stalls during legislative session
Alabama Senate and House bill aimed at regulating the gaming industry encounters obstacles in the final days of the legislative session, potentially halting its passage.
In an unexpected twist during the 2025 legislative session, Senate Bill 90, a local bill for Greene County concerning historical horse racing, ended up stalling alongside numerous other bills on the 29th day. This Senate debacle stretched onto the House floor, causing quite a commotion.
Sponsored by Senator Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, Senate Bill 90 aims to update the existing law, allowing racetracks and pari-mutuel wagering in Greene County, and regulating the disbursement of gaming fees and revenue to local entities. Moreover, it proposes a provision for historical horse racing on a computerized machine in the county.
"Hold up, folks," Singleton said, "The dog track in Greene County has been around since 1977. This ain't none of that fancy new gaming expansion crap. This here is just freshening up that law."
SB90 first sailed through the Senate back on April 8, 2025, later making its way through the House but not without a few twists along the way. However, the bill's journey to becoming law hit a snag with disagreements and procedural dilemmas. Singleton pushed for the bill's progress, but met fierce opposition, notably from House Speaker Ledbetter, who effectively sent the bill into limbo by challenging its advancement without a fight[3][5].
Confined to a conference committee for discussions and amendments, the bill's current status remains unclear[5]. Some sources have indicated that while there may have been earlier expectations of a successful passage, the bill's chances of being enacted beyond the current session seem slim[1][5]. Stay tuned, 'cause hopefully, we'll have a clearer picture soon enough.
- Despite its initial progress, Senate Bill 90, which aimed to upgrade the casino-and-gambling landscape in Greene County by allowing historical horse racing at racetracks, had its progress halted during the 2025 legislative session.
- The bill, sponsored by Senator Bobby Singleton, intended to modernize pari-mutuel wagering laws, regulate gaming fees and revenue distribution, and introduce sports and casino-games, including historical horse racing, in Greene County.
- The prolonged discussions in the conference committee, a result of disagreements and procedural dilemmas, have left the future of SB90 uncertain, with sources suggesting that its chances of being enacted beyond the current session appear slim.
- House Speaker Ledbetter's staunch opposition, which led to the bill being challenged, effectively sent Senate Bill 90 into a state of limbo, making its future highly contingent on the outcome of the ongoing discussions within the conference committee.
