Many Unknowns Around Governor’s Call for a Lottery

| July 28, 2016 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/07/lottery_money.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1024;s:6:"height";i:685;s:4:"file";s:25:"2016/07/lottery_money.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-336x225.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:225;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-771x516.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:516;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-768x514.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"lottery_money-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-465x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:465;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-396x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:396;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Lisa Brewster
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => flickr
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:461500;s:14:"optimized_size";i:234147;s:7:"percent";d:49.259999999999998;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:53:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:257347;s:14:"optimized_size";i:110700;s:7:"percent";d:56.979999999999997;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:7040;s:14:"optimized_size";i:5117;s:7:"percent";d:27.32;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-336x225.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:17013;s:14:"optimized_size";i:11126;s:7:"percent";d:34.600000000000001;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-771x516.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:65671;s:14:"optimized_size";i:36532;s:7:"percent";d:44.369999999999997;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:37180;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21488;s:7:"percent";d:42.210000000000001;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:20921;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13586;s:7:"percent";d:35.060000000000002;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-465x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:28421;s:14:"optimized_size";i:16916;s:7:"percent";d:40.479999999999997;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-396x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:21949;s:14:"optimized_size";i:14317;s:7:"percent";d:34.770000000000003;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:5958;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4365;s:7:"percent";d:26.739999999999998;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1619496238 
1469691757

Proponents of a lottery in Alabama received a notable boost this week after Governor Robert Bentley announced he would call a special session on that issue. He wants lawmakers to pass a measure to create a lottery which would then have to be approved by voters. Bentley says it’s up to voters to decide but calls a lottery the best remaining way to deal with persistent budget crises. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald offers his take on the proposal.

Photo by Lisa Brewster

54% of support comes from members

 

Florida’s 6-week abortion ban will have a ‘snowball effect’ on residents across the South

Abortion rights advocates say the ban will likely force many to travel farther for abortion care and endure pregnancy and childbirth against their will.

Attitudes among Alabama lawmakers softening on Medicaid expansion

Alabama is one of ten states which has not expanded Medicaid. Republican leaders have pushed back against the idea for years.

Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says

The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.

Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?

Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care

Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing

Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.

Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis

Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.

More Front Page Coverage