Senator Ben Brooks on gambling

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Alabama Senator Ben Brooks visited the Fox Ten News Studios Sunday to talk about recent criticism of his anti-gambling stand and his opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow voters to decide the issue.

Senator Brooks says the criticism from the "Let Us Vote Coalition" is really a small group of gambling supporters who Brooks calls "gambling kingpins."

The senator said he is not opposed to a bill that would let the people vote, but he does object to the bill currently being offered, because it is not "clean."

Brooks says he would vote in favor of a bill that calls for fair competition among bingo operations, that included a much higher tax rate and higher fees for the bingo businesses. Brooks also says it should let the people vote up or down on the issue. Brooks says even though he would support that type of bill, he would still vote no on gambling at the polls.

Brooks calls bingo or any form of gambling a regressive tax on poor and working families. He does not think that gambling would benefit the state.

Listen to Senator Brooks entire interview on Fox10tv.com, and watch for your report tonight at 9 p.m. on Fox Ten News.