Two proposals for the special session of the Alabama Legislature deserve fair consideration for repairing the state’s budget shortfall.

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh plans to introduce bills that would allow voters to establish a lottery and casino gambling. Sen. Paul Bussman of Cullman wants the Legislature to adopt a one-budget platform that would allow lawmakers to budget from a general pool of money instead of dividing revenues between two budgets.

Both proposals have promise in solving the state’s lingering problem with the General Fund budget.

Few growth taxes are attached to the General Fund, while the education budget benefits under a healthy economy and expands. Proration in the education budget has been avoided for several years because of a healthier economy and a rolling reserve fund that was established to guard against funding reductions during lean economic periods.

Nonetheless, the General Fund houses a vast amount of services that are important to all state residents. The court system, prisons, Medicaid and other services are all tied to this budget. The pressure on the budget is enormous.

The idea of establishing a lottery is sensible as Alabamians travel to neighboring borders to buy tickets and to gamble. Casino gambling will be a hard issue to get by voters while a lottery would likely have wide appeal.

Alabama is stuck in a budget trap. The dual budgets are outdated and ineffective for providing citizens with the services they need.

When the Legislature reconvenes in August for the special session, the proposals by Marsh and Bussman should be given full attention by lawmakers. The longterm benefits of a lottery and a single budget would place Alabama in a stronger position to meet the needs of the people.