Alabama voters are one step closer to voting on whether to create a state lottery for education and casinos like the one the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PCI) want to build in either DeKalb or Jackson counties due to proximity to Chattanooga. Earlier this week, a constitutional amendment by Sen. Jim McClendon, R-Springville, passed the Alabama Senate by a vote of 23-9. On Thursday, SB319 was referred to the House of Representatives committee on Economic Development and Tourism. In Alabama, a constitutional amendment must be passed by a 60% vote in each house of the state legislature during one session to appear on the ballot during the November 2022 general election. A 1999 referendum to create a state lottery and to earmark the resulting revenue for use in education failed to pass 54% to 46%.