A Senate committee on Tuesday narrowly approved a bill establishing a lottery in Alabama after the legislation was amended to include language aimed at protecting the state's dog tracks.

The Senate Tourism and Marketing committee approved the bill, sponsored by Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, on a 6-5 vote. Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, voted for the bill, as did Sens. Billy Beasley, D-Clayton; Chris Elliott, R-Daphne; Garland Gudger, R-Cullman; Andrew Jones, R-Centre and Randy Price, R-Opelika.

The legislation, a constitutional amendment, would put the question of authorizing a lottery before voters at the presidential primary on March 3. The bill would create a paper-based lottery. Proceeds would be split between the Alabama Trust Fund and the General Fund.

Addressing concerns over whether the bill could upset existing gambling arrangements in Alabama, Albritton told the committee that he was not "trying to disturb anything present."

"I’m not trying to harm anybody that has these institutions present by local bill," he said. "I’m not trying to do harm to folks that are engaged in these activities currently. I am trying to give the people of Alabama something to make a choice on. Keep what we’ve got, vote on the lottery, and let’s move forward on where we are."

The language on paper-based lotteries concerned legislators who represent dog tracks. They claim the bill could give the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, a federally-recognized tribe that operates casinos in Atmore, Montgomery and Wetumpka, access to machines that would be denied to the dog tracks, if the Poarch Band and the state pursued a compact. Not all gambling experts agree with that argument.

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, whose district includes GreeneTrack in Greene County, introduced an amendment that he said would protect the state's dog tracks. The language would effectively protect the existing electronic bingo machines at VictoryLand in Macon County and GreeneTrack.

"Since you tell me you’re not trying to do anything to hurt, I want to offer a little amendment that I know will help," Singleton told Albritton.

Albritton said he did not think the language was necessary, which prompted Singleton to respond "I know we do a lot of unnecessary stuff right here. This is going to be one of those unnecessary things I would like to do today."

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The committee adopted the amendment. Beasley, whose district includes VictoryLand, said he believed it would protect the facility.

"The amendment protected VictoryLand and GreeneTrack," he said.

Albritton, however, said he would "strip the amendment" when the bill gets to the floor, expressing a fear that the language in the bill would expand gambling machines "statewide."

"I think I’ll have the votes for it," he said. "The people of Alabama .. I don’t think they want to be little Nevada."

Marsh, a co-sponsor of the bill, moved the legislation over a lottery bill sponsored by Sen. Jim McClendon, R-Springville, that would have allowed video lottery terminals at dog tracks. Marsh said after the committee vote on Thursday that the bill was the "simplest" lottery bill out there.

"In the meetings I’ve had with caucus members, they seem to want a simple bill," he said. "House, same thing. My meetings with House members, let us have a simple version."

The Senate leader said he hopes to have a vote on the bill on Thursday, though he was surprised by the closeness of the vote.

"I didn’t work the committee, but the vote was closer than I expected," Marsh said. "I thought the bill would come out with a larger number of yes votes to have a tool to work with. But it came out."