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DA Harp Criticizes Governor Riley on Bingo Issues

September 21st, 2009

Jimmie Harp, the district attorney of Etowah County criticized Governor Bob Riley for failing to push statewide bingo legislation. Harp was speaking to the members of Gadsden’s Kiwanis Club. He also criticized Attorney General Troy King for his refusal to get involved in the case Harp had filed with regard to electronic bingo.

Harp’s suit revolves around the question of whether electronic bingo machines are legal or whether they are considered so only because they resemble certain illegal slot machines.

An initial hearing, which was scheduled to be held on Tuesday, was postponed owing to differences in opinion, which arose during a pre-trial conference attended by CBS Supply attorneys and Harp. CBS Supply hopes to establish a charitable electronic bingo venue worth $200 million close to Interstate 59 and Pleasant Valley Road.

Harp insisted that it was Riley’s duty to call a special session of the legislature to discuss statewide bingo issues. Previously, he had requested King and Riley, who had appointed a task force to handle the issues of illegal gaming in Alabama, to try his case in Etowah County. Both King and Riley had refused to do so.

“I’ve got an attorney general who won’t come down here and try this case himself,” Harp said. “The governor’s task force (doesn’t) want anything to do with our cases on the trial level. The Legislature of the state of Alabama could fix this problem just like this.”

Harp also said that although his office does not have the required funds, he had filed the bingo case because it was his duty. He also said that Riley could call a session of the legislature to resolve the issue and that King could “take a big black paintbrush and draw a line around the state and say, ‘You’re not going to bring a machine into town or we’re going to arrest you.’”

Pointing out that the Etowah County Commission had adopted stricter guidelines and standards than any other county on the issue of electronic bingo, Harp said: “We are the only county that’s done it right, if you ask me.”

Harp said that he agrees when King says that electronic bingo is “in some form or fashion legal,” provided that the bingo machines are not illegal slot machines. In the first part of his speech, Harp appreciated Riley for providing the required funds, along with R-Haleywille, U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, for the campaign against meth.

Tags: bingo legislation, electronic bingo, electronic bingo permits, free online bingo, Free-Bingo, free-bingo-online, online-Bingo

Joy Osbourne

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DA Harp Criticizes Governor Riley on Bingo Issues

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