Alabama
Could gambling money lead to Medicaid expansion in Alabama? – Alabama Reflector
Buried in the gambling expansion bill is a provision that might give give Alabama the chance to expand Medicaid.
But no one seems to want to discuss it.
Not Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest, who has helped draft the legislation. On his way to the House floor Thursday, Whitt said that providing health care to working adults has been a point of discussion in the past, but “the governor is the only one who could expand Medicaid.”
Not Alabama Arise, which has advocated for Medicaid expansion. The group declined comment on the provision Thursday.
House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, also avoided discussion about the bill. But he was clear when asked if he would support a gambling bill that lacked the provision.
“No,” he said.
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The appearance of Medicaid in the legislation adds an unprecedented opportunity to bring Medicaid expansion to the state, a long-held goal of both Democrats and health care professionals, particularly hospitals that say it’s essential to address a mounting crisis in public health in rural areas.
But it also adds risk to the legislation’s prospects. Some Republicans may balk at supporting a program they have long opposed on ideological grounds. Taking it out could threaten support from Democrats, whose support has been needed to pass prior gambling proposals amid divisions in the House GOP caucus.
The bill would allow — but not require — lawmakers to fund rural health care and qualified health benefit plans for “for adults with income below 138 percent of the federal poverty level and parents or other caretaker relatives of dependent children with income between 14 and 138 percent of the federal poverty level.”
If allocated, the money for expansion would come from a Gaming Trust Fund, where taxes on casino and sports wagering would be held. A 2020 report from a commission convened by Gov. Kay Ivey estimated that fully expanded casinos and sports betting could bring between $310 and $410 million into state coffers.
Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act expands Medicaid services to anyone making up to 138% of the poverty level ($20,783 for an individual; $35,632 for a family of three).
Rep. Sam Jones, D-Mobile, the lone Democrat in a study group charged with introducing a comprehensive gambling bill, said Thursday that they wanted to include health care, including mental health in the distribution of gambling revenue. Legislators, he said, wrote the provision broadly so they “can either have Medicaid expansion or private plans.”
Like Whitt, Jones said Ivey will make the call on expansion. The bill, he said, would give them the option to do it.
“If we’re going to get new money in the state, we want to address some of the issues that we’ve not addressed for some period of time now,” Jones said.
Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee Chair Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, a supporter of a comprehensive approach, has previously said he opposes Medicaid expansion, and said Wednesday after the bill was unveiled that the provision might be in the bill to garner “particular votes.”
Gov. Kay Ivey’s office did not return a request for comment Thursday.
Alabama has so far resisted Medicaid expansion, which has left 219,000 Alabamians in a limbo known as the coverage gap, according to KFF. Those in it make too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid and too little to qualify for subsidized Affordable Care Act plans offered in the marketplace.
House Republicans have expressed support for an Arkansas-type program that would use Medicaid expansion dollars in a public-private partnership.
Alabama House gambling bills include lottery, casinos, sports betting
Previous research indicated that increased economic activity would eventually balance what the state would spend on expansion. According to a PARCA study, expansion would save Alabama an average of $172.4 million in health care costs over six years. That would be more than enough to cover the cost of the program.
The study estimated that spending in Alabama would go up by an average of $225 million a year over current Medicaid costs, but the state would also average nearly $400 million in savings over those same six years each year. Additionally, expansion would create an average of about 20,000 new jobs per year over the next six years and have an estimated average economic impact of nearly $2 billion per year over the next six years.
Danne Howard, deputy director of the Alabama Hospital Association, said in a phone interview Thursday that they support the wording in the bill. She said that according to their projections, closing the coverage gap would need funding from the state for at least 10 years.
“There’s no cost at stake, but who knows what things might look like 10 years from now or later. That additional revenue may be needed. This is an opportunity, or this is language, that would allow for it in future years, if it’s needed — but not mandated it if it’s not,” she said.
The Alabama Hospital Association plans to meet with staff from the governor’s office next week to discuss what they describe as a plan to close the coverage gap.
“It’s never a bad idea to have the possibility of a revenue stream if it’s needed years out. That is insurance,” she said.
Sports betting industry veteran David Vinturella, an instructor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas College of Education’s sport management program, said in an interview Thursday that revenues from both casinos and sports betting have been trending upward.
Nevada, he said, just broke a record of the most money wagered in casinos in the state, and it’s gone up every year before that, Vinturella said. Revenue for casinos were up 9% in December compared to December 2022.
“The revenue in the casinos like here in Nevada — it goes up every year, because they’re shifting the odds, they’re changing the way some of the games are played,” he said.
In Ohio, Vinturella said, over $1 billion dollars was bet in the first month of legal sports betting in the state, with a tax rate of 10%. Because of that success, the state increased the tax rate to 20%.
“They were so successful in that first month that the state of Ohio went back and passed legislation to double their tax rate to 20%, effective July 1, so it was such a huge success in the state of Ohio,” he said.
House Ways and Means committee Chair Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville, said Thursday that the provision is just part of “categories” the Legislature “could” fund.
“It’s just identifying some important categories that we may need to look at,” he said.
While he did not say where he leaned on the bill, he supports the money going to the General Fund to allow the Ways and Means committee to make those decisions on a year to year basis, “because our priorities may change,” he said.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – You don’t find too many camps where you learn how to slap someone. But this summer, you will in Montgomery. It’s one of many kids camps put on by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
“We have our Camp Shakespeare Junior which is our half day for the littles, kindergarten through 3rd grade,” said Cameron Williams, the ASF director of education. “We have Big Kid Shakespeare camp and everyone is learning all about ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.”
They learn about on stage combat, different acting techniques, and also how to be creative and think on their feet.
“I think theater skills are life skills. So, what makes this camp special is we’re doing more than just boosting literacy and doing theater things. We’re doing life skills, learning what it means to be team players, about discipline, and working with people who may have different personalities than you.”
Different kids have different talents. And even if your child isn’t up for a lead role in the next play, this place can leave a lasting impact.
“If you’re looking for a place where your kid can come out of their shell, to learn how to speak in front of a group, and develop some confidence, this is the place to be.”
It’s a place that’s a real treasure in Montgomery, and its mining some young gems, who one day, could be on the big stage themselves. There are still more ASF camps going on this summer for pre-teens and even adults.
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Huntsville-based defense contractor LOGZONE Inc. has agreed to pay $507,144 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts with the U.S. Department of the Navy, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The settlement resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act alleging that LOGZONE knowingly submitted claims for payment while not meeting certain cybersecurity standards required under two Navy contracts.
Federal officials alleged that between May 2021 and March 2025, LOGZONE did not implement specific cybersecurity controls outlined in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171. The standards are designed to protect sensitive defense information handled by government contractors.
According to the Justice Department, the deficiencies were identified during an assessment conducted by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The evaluation resulted in LOGZONE receiving a score of -170 on a scale ranging from -203 to 110, indicating significant gaps in compliance with required security controls.
The government alleged that the missing cybersecurity measures could have increased the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information or the exploitation of company systems.
The settlement does not include a determination of liability. As part of the agreement, LOGZONE will pay $507,144 to resolve the allegations.
Federal officials said the enforcement action reflects ongoing efforts to ensure government contractors comply with cybersecurity obligations tied to federal contracts, particularly those involving sensitive defense information.
The investigation and settlement involved the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the Department of the Navy, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
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Additional details regarding corrective actions taken by the company were not immediately available.
Alabama
Alabama’s Self-Proclaimed ‘AI Watchman’ Unseats Incumbent Public Service Commissioner – Inside Climate News
MOBILE, Ala.—Jim Zeigler didn’t have much time to celebrate.
The morning after his Republican primary victory on Tuesday and a gathering of supporters at Wintzell’s Oyster House, the 78-year-old hit the road early to drive the nearly four hours to his hometown of Sylacauga, southwest of Birmingham, to attend a funeral.
But even this early, Zeigler already had his mind on November.
“It’s going to be a tough, tough race,” Zeigler said.
He may be right.
Like Republicans across the South, Zeigler pointed to recent public service commission elections in Georgia—two Republican to Democratic flips—as a seeming electoral mandate from voters: Lower energy bills and curb data centers, or face citizens’ wrath at the ballot box.
But, Zeigler said, he believes Democrats’ success in Georgia also came because of an influx of campaign cash from out-of-state donors—a challenge he said he anticipates Alabama Republicans in utility regulation races will face in November as well.
“It’s not only a possibility that kind of campaign will be attempted in Alabama,” Zeigler said. “It sneaked up on the Republicans of Georgia. It won’t sneak up on me.”
The election of a Democrat to one of Alabama’s at-large PSC seats would be a major electoral shakeup. The last Democrat to serve on the body was elected in 2008.
Zeigler said his aim in the campaign—both in the primary and general—is to channel voters’ frustrations about data centers and solar farms.
It was those issues, according to Zeigler, that put him past the finish line in the race against his Republican opponent, Chris Beeker, an incumbent with a 5 to 1 campaign finance advantage.
Beeker, who was appointed to serve the remainder of his father’s term, ran a much less vocal campaign, a stark contrast to Zeigler’s.
During his campaign, Zeigler has promised he will serve as an “AI watchman in Alabama,” shielding residents from the economic and environmental burdens of the data centers that power AI technology.
He said he will soon begin rolling out a detailed plan about how he’ll conduct that oversight. One of the first things that should be made public, Zeigler said, is a list of all data centers in Alabama currently operating, proposed or under construction.
“Right now there is no such a list available to the public,” Zeigler said.
Both Alabama Power and the Alabama Public Service Commission have declined requests by Inside Climate News for such a list.
Still, despite Zeigler’s pledges, the ability of he or any other public service commissioner to regulate industry effectively will soon be more limited than ever before. Earlier this year, the Alabama Legislature passed a law expanding the commission from three to seven seats and consolidating regulatory power in a newly-created secretary of energy.
Experts said the legislation stood to benefit Alabama Power, the state’s largest utility, by making the initiation of rate cases scrutinizing energy prices more difficult.
Zeigler seemed reticent to criticize the new law on Wednesday.
“The fact is it’s law,” he said. “It’s something that I’m just going to have to live with. Move on.”
This won’t be Zeigler’s first time serving on the body. A perennial candidate, he served on the Public Service Commission for a single term from 1975 to 1979. Half a century later, after running for various offices and serving as Alabama’s state auditor from 2015 to 2023, Zeigler said he recognizes that if he wins in November, he’ll be serving in a state much different than it was all that time ago. In 1979, Zeigler said, no one had heard of a data center, much less had one proposed to be built in their back yard. Times have changed. Now, Zeigler himself is figuring out how to deal with ever-evolving technology.
Zeigler said while his campaign hasn’t generated AI images for publication, it may have shared some created by supporters. Both Zeigler’s website and social media pages feature AI-generated images, one portraying Zeigler in a heroic stance, “THE WATCHMAN” emblazoned across the bottom.
In it, Zeigler holds a bottle labeled “sunlight, integrity, common sense and sweet tea.” Zeigler, in a houndstooth blazer, a cape and a “people over profits” belt buckle, appears above a monster truck painted in the University of Alabama’s crimson and white. “Zeigler,” the side of the truck says. “Watching out for Alabama!”
Ultimately, Zeigler said it doesn’t matter if his campaign or supporters use AI-generated images in his run for office.
“I guess eventually I’m going to have to learn how to use AI,” he said. “But the idea that you can’t be a watchman over data centers and try to oversee them if you use any AI yourself is a juvenile analysis.”
Zeigler will face Democrat Sheila McNeil in the November election.
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Lee Hedgepeth
Reporter, Alabama
Lee Hedgepeth is Inside Climate News’ Alabama reporter. Raised in Grand Bay, Alabama, a small town on the Gulf Coast, Lee holds master’s degrees in community journalism and political development from the University of Alabama and Tulane University. Lee is the founder of Tread, a newsletter of Southern journalism, and has also worked for news outlets across Alabama, including CBS 42, Alabama Political Reporter and the Anniston Star. His reporting has focused on issues impacting members of marginalized groups, including homelessness, poverty, and the death penalty. His award-winning journalism has appeared in publications across the country and has been cited by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, among others.
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