Tim James supports Riley in gambling fight

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim James is applauding Gov. Bob Riley for his fight against gambling.
Riley, a Republican, formed a Task Force on Illegal Gambling, which last month raided a gaming center in White Hall, seizing more than $560,000 and 101 machines. Attorneys for the center filed action seeking to have the items returned and to reopen without the threat of the facility being raided again.
Judge Mark Kennedy, the former state Supreme Court justice who was appointed to hear the case, ordered the machines and money to be returned. The Alabama Supreme Court overruled him 6-3 on Friday.
James, the only Republican who has announced he is running for governor in 2010, said casino gambling is illegal in the state and should stay illegal.
"Gov. Bob Riley took an important step recently when he moved to stop illegal gambling in Alabama," James said in a statement on Monday. "The Alabama Supreme Court's 6-3 decision to uphold the Governor’s seizure of illegal electronic gambling devices from a Lowndes County casino was the right decision for the people of Alabama."
James, a Greenville businessman, encouraged the people of Alabama and state lawmakers to support Riley, who wants to have a test case taken to the Alabama Supreme Court to determine whether the machines are legal.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen