Alabama retirement CEO faces opposition in push for gaming special session

A logo of the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) seen in Montgomery, Alabama on January 24, 2023. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

Retirement Systems of Alabama CEO David Bronner wants a special session on gaming to increase education retirees’ benefits, but state leaders seem determined not to.

Bronner said after the State Employee Retirement System board meeting Tuesday that “to provide a cost-of-living adjustment for education retirees, the state must fund such liability,” and suggested that Gov. Kay Ivey, the only official who can call a special session in the state, could change some “nay” votes in the Senate.

“All it is is one rotten vote,” said Bronner. “One vote out of 15 … and I think the governor has the ability- the power to call them in and get two or three votes that decide that.”

Education retirees have not had a cost-of-living adjustment in benefits since 2007. The gaming legislation failed by one vote in the Senate in the 2024 session.

After the House passed the gambling proposal, it faced several obstacles in the Senate. After the legislation stalled in the Senate for some time, a more narrow version of the legislation was passed, which the House rejected, sending it to a conference committee. The House passed the compromised version of the legislation, but the proposal died in the Senate after Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, a proponent of gambling expansion who handled the gaming package in the Senate, voted against the proposal .

The gaming package would have provided an estimated $1.2 billion in revenue for the state, with some funding going to cost-of-living adjustments for education retirees.

Gina Maiola, spokesperson for the governor, said that Ivey has long supported letting Alabamians decide on gaming, but that the governor does not plan to call a special session.

“While she remains supportive of legislation to address gambling in Alabama, she has made it clear that she has no plans to call a special session at this time,” Maiola said in a statement.

In early May, Ivey asked, “Why would I do that?” when asked whether she would call a special session, according to an al.com report , and added that “[lawmakers] cannot come to a consensus among themselves. Why would I spend the time and effort and money on a special session?”

Charles Murry, spokesperson for House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said the Ledbetter “no intention of asking [Ivey] to do so.”

“Speaker Ledbetter is proud that the House passed legislation twice that would have eliminated illegal gambling and given the people of Alabama an opportunity to vote on an education lottery,” he said in a text message.

Albritton said in a phone interview that he doesn’t think Ivey will call a special session unless they have the votes in both chambers on a bill that all parties agreed to. He does not think votes can be flipped.

“I think we tried everything we could in the Senate to get this accomplished, and it failed miserably,” he said.

Education retirees have not had a cost-of-living adjustment in benefits since 2007. The gaming package would have provided an estimated $1.2 billion in revenue for the state, with some funding going to cost-of-living adjustments for education retirees.

“If you listen to the unfunded liability of up to a $1 million, I can’t agree to such a thing. I won’t agree to one unless they put up the money or have a funding source,” Bronner said.

House Democrats pushed for a cost-of-living adjustment to be included in the bill, with House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, saying that Democrats would not support the gaming legislation without that provision.

Daniels said in a text message that he has not had any discussion with the governor’s office about a special session.

There was also a bill introduced in the 2024 session that could have increased benefits for retirees. The bill was amended throughout the process and was passed by both chambers, but the differences were never fixed in conference committees .

Bronner also pushed for a special session in the June 2024 newsletter from the Retirement Systems of Alabama, asking members of the RSA “to encourage Governor Ivey to continue to make Alabama a little better and get the essential funds to continue improving the state.”

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