Speaker Hubbard Was Not Saying The People Would Be Allowed To Vote

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 5070

Posted by: RStokes
Date: Jul 29 2012 9:09 PM

ALABAMA:    The Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives was in Dothan – Ozark and Troy this past Friday. He made appearances of some television shows and news casts.

Based on his comments I received some telephone calls. Those calls indicated Speaker Mike Hubbard had indicated the Alabama Legislature would take up the issue of Gambling in the 2013 Legislative Session. Those callers indicated his comments made them believe the Alabama Legislature would let the people vote on electronic bingo.

YOU HAVE HEARD THE WRONG MESSAGE

To those callers, rest assured you misunderstood what Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard was saying.

The only issue the 2013 Alabama Legislature, which is under the Control in the House of Mike Hubbard and the Alabama Senate is under the control of Del Marsh.

The only issue the Alabama Legislature will take up in 2013, in my opinion is Senator Bryan Taylor’s legislation making it a felony to possess illegal gambling devices. Taylor, a former Policy Director under Former Alabama Governor Bob Riley, has attempted to make the offense a felony twice now, and has committed a third attempt in the 2013 Legislative Session. That session will begin in February 2013.

This Alabama Legislature has no intent to allow the people of Alabama have a opportunity to cast their vote on electronic bingo.

PAST GOVERNOR’S RACE – SOME LEGISLATOR’S SAY, WAS PROOF THE PEOPLE OF ALABAMA DO NOT WANT TO VOTE ON ELECTRONIC BINGO

In speaking with some members of the Alabama Legislature, they feel this past Alabama Governor’s race was proof the people do not want to vote on electronic bingo in Alabama.

Their argument is, Governor Candidate Ron Sparks said if elected Alabama “would have” electronic bingo. Those who say the message is clear, with Sparks being defeated makes it clear the people do not want to vote.

However, to the contrary, the Republican leadership, Bob Riley, wanted Bradley Byrne’s as Alabama Governor. Candidate Robert Bentley said, as a candidate, that he thought the people of this state needed to be allowed to vote on the issue. Bentley whipped the Republican Bradley Bryne, he carried Houston County, as is now Governor of Alabama.

That is why their argument is flawed, The people wanted the opportunity to cast their vote in favor of or in opposition of electronic bingo.

NO ARRESTS IN CENTER STAGE RAID

This week Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange raided Center Stage in Houston County. Strange’s press announcement said the raid was with the help of Houston County Sheriff Andy Hughes and District Attorney Doug Valeska.

Strange sent people to Orange Beach Alabama to hawk down a Houston County Circuit Court Judge to get him to sign a search warrant for the raid.

District Attorney Doug Valeska was on a Houston – Henry County paid trip to California. He returned tonight ( Sunday ) to Houston County. He just returned from a two week trip paid for by Houston and Henry County in Panama City Florida. The purpose of the trip were “continuing education”. Valeska was not present for the raids.

Houston County Sheriff Andy Hughes involvement was to make sure the actions of the Attorney General were legal and appropriate. The past raid by Former Governor Alabama Bob Riley and Mobile District Attorney John Tyson with 130 Alabama State Troopers was not done in a legal manner. The Sheriff, a seasoned law enforcement officer, never dreamed the Troopers would appear without a valid search warrant.

The Attorney General has announced there were no arrests. His Assistant ( and former legal assistant to former Alabama Governor Bob Riley ) Sonny Regan has filed a “civil condemnation” of the machines and $ 283,000.00 dollars they seized. However no one is being arrested on the “existing” criminal offense the Attorney General has said that Center Stage is violating.

The reason there are no arrests, in my opinion, is the Attorney General is not for sure that the case would stand a criminal trial. And anytime a law enforcement officer will not make a criminal case, but abuse his power and authority to “take under force” your assets, he is violating his badge.

The was in which the Attorney General is operating, should scare each and every person. That would mean law enforcement can come in and take your assets, and never put the issue into court for you to get a final determination that you have violate the law. So far, they have made no arrests for the case to be tried in a court of law on the facts the electronic machines are indeed illegal.

HOUSTON COUNTY SHERIFF ANDY HUGHES SHOULD FORCE THEIR HANDS

Houston County Sheriff Andy Hughes is an honest law enforcement officer. Early on in this issue of electronic bingo Sheriff Hughes said the law was not clear and decisions needed to be made. Those decisions needed to be the court making a definitive ruling on the legality of the machines or the Alabama Legislature allowing to the people of this state to cast a simple ballot, yes or no.

If the Alabama Attorney General does not make an arrest on the machines, just one arrest on one count of the misdemeanor offense, since Houston County Sheriff Deputies were present, Sheriff Hughes should make one arrest for the machines and place the case in court for a trial.

It is apparent, based on Speaker Hubbard’s comments, on Attorney General Luther Strange’s comments, this issue will not be decided. The case will not be made, and the issue of electronic bingo in Alabama as to definitive court rulings on it’s legality will not be decided.

Sheriff Hughes, a man of integrity who has interest in doing the job correctly, should force their hand.  By forcing the hand, the Sheriff would allow a criminal trial in Houston County District Court. If a conviction in District Court by a District Court Judge, then an appeal then a jury trial in Houston County Circuit Court, If a conviction by a jury, then an appeal to the upper courts for finality.

Without someone with integrity, this issue will keep on going…and going…

SPEAKER HUBBARD COMMENTS A LITTLE OFF TRACK

In Speaker Hubbard’s comments Friday, he said law enforcement wanted the Alabama Legislature to address the issue.

Hubbard’s reference was to making the offense a felony. It is already a crime and the Attorney General will not make a case. Why waste the time of the Alabama Legislature in making it a felony when they will not even charge now.

THE POOR OL’ BLACK MAN CARD GAME

In Houston County the Dothan Police Department and Houston County Sheriff Department arrested a black man on a felony for a group playing cards in a barricaded house.

They hit the house with storm troopers SWAT teams, chain saws and more to get a group of guys and gals playing cards. The place where they were playing cards had bars on the windows and doors. Those bars have been there for years.

The criminal defense team asked the Dothan Police Department for specific crime data for that area. With all of the millions of dollars spent on computers, software, crime data analyst, Dothan Police Department has been unable to provide that crime data.

The bars and windows were to keep the building from being broke into when it was a store.

But yet when the white people in the northside of town were robbed and money taken when they were playing cards, no one was arrested for playing the cards. Not even the persons who robbed the card players at gunpoint and took the money.

But one black man was arrested because the Police and Sheriff said he was the “house man” and they were in a barricaded house playing cards.

If they can arrest the black man, they can arrest those in possession of those electronic bingo machines and let a court make a final decision on the legality of the machines. There was a lot more money at the electronic bingo machines than the black man  card game. A lot more money was stolen from the northside white man card game which they never apprehended the suspect(s). A crime today that remains unsolved in Dothan Alabama.

FINALITY

The State of Alabama is broke. Why are the officials still spending money on this issue when they can bring it to a close with a final court decision or in the alternative just let the people vote on the issue, YES or NO.

MY POSITION ON ELECTRONIC BINGO

I do not care if the people vote electronic bingo UP or DOWN. They should be allowed to cast their vote and end the issue.

I think the way the Attorney General, former and present Legislature, Governor and those in power have operated, is a dangerous so called rule of law. It is not the “rule of law” but the “rule of intimidation”.

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