Two Republican senators resign from party caucus over lottery, gambling bill

Sens. Paul Bussman, R-Cullman, and Dick Brewbaker, R-Montgomery, both said they are still Republicans, but sent letters to Senate leadership withdrawing from the majority caucus.

Bussman took to Facebook on Tuesday, explaining his resignation over what he said was broken rules within the caucus.

“I can no longer sit back and ignore the actions of the Alabama Senate Republican Caucus leadership, which is misguided, unequally applied, punitive and divisive,” he wrote.

On Thursday, the Senate was debating SB11, which allowed for a lottery and video lottery machines similar to slot machines in limited locations. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jim McClendon, R-Springville.

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Senate leadership filed a cloture petition to try to stop debate and force a vote on the bill. That petition failed, and the bill was carried over without a final vote, effectively killing it for the rest of the session

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“I don’t understand why it was so important that we force a vote on SB11 when we’ve never forced a vote on Common Core, tax reform, flat taxes … you name it,” Bussman said.

Brewbaker said Senate Bill 11 was a terrible bill written by the gaming industry.

“To see a Republican sponsor it and the Republican leadership pulling out all the stops to force a vote on it, I feel like I fell down a rabbit hole,” Brewbaker said Monday. “When you feel that way, it’s probably time to go.”

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said the resignations are unfortunate.

“I hate that they chose to do that, it doesn’t make any sense to me,” Marsh said Tuesday.

He said lawmakers are in Montgomery to discuss and vote on lottery proposals because that’s what Gov. Robert Bentley called them here to do.

“Ultimately, we have to craft the best piece of legislation we possibly can, if in fact it goes to the people,” Marsh said. “That’s what we’ve done. Everybody got a vote on it. Apparently, those individuals were not happy with the results and chose to leave the caucus and I think that’s unfortunate.”

Brewbaker said he’d never seen Republicans cloture one of their own in his six years in the Senate. Brewbaker has previously said he’s not running for re-election in two years. He said he assumes his resignation from the caucus will mean he loses his seat as chairman of the Senate education policy committee.

Bussman said “it’s way too early” to say if he’ll run for re-election in 2018. He’s a two-term senator who has clashed with and challenged leadership previously.

In the spring, Marsh removed Bussman from his seat on the powerful Rules Committee.

Marsh said Bussman didn’t return his calls to talk about Marsh’s bill to change how public school teachers are evaluated, and obtain and keep tenure. Bussman then voted against the bill in committee. Marsh later said he wasn’t upset about the vote, but he shouldn’t have been surprised by it when he tried to talk to Bussman.

Asked if not being in the caucus will make being a senator more difficult, Bussman said, “I expect it could.”

“I’m there to represent the people of my district,” he said. “I’m going to do the best job I can at that.

“If someone wants to retaliate that’s their choice, not mine.”

Asked if the resignations would affect the lawmakers’ committee assignments, Marsh said he’s focused on the special session right now.

Senate Bill 11 is not the same legislation proposed by Gov. Robert Bentley. Senate Bill 3 allows only for lottery ticket sales and is working its way through the Statehouse.

Brewbaker and Bussman both voted against SB3.