Large United Vans pull up to Greenetrack to remove the electronic bingo machines, despite the fact that the machines had been changed and resembled computers more than slot machines.

Once again ignoring the constitutional amendment which legalized electronic bingo in Greene County, Attorney General Luther Strange pulled a daylight raid on the two bingo facilities located in Greene County (Frontier Bingo and Greenetrack) and seized over 700  electronic bingo machines.

The entry way to the track was blocked by members of the ABI, the ABC and the Greene County Sheriff’s Department,

Hundreds of citizens lined the roadway, all complaining that Attorney General Luther Strange was breaking the law, showing a racist attitude toward the citizens of Greene County and in general hurting people who already lived in one of the poorest counties in Alabama.

“He (Governor Robert Bentley) keeps saying he is trying to bring jobs to Alabama, but he just took 104 jobs away from us – jobs that cannot be replaced any time soon,” said one man who had been an employee of Greenetrack.

Others standing near the entrance to the track had even more to say about Bentley and Strange and the way they were treating Greene County.

Words heard from all sides were “We have a constitutional amendment.”

 In fact in an earlier release by then governor-elect Robert Bentley, he says, “We have go with what the law says. We have passed constitutional amendments that have allowed bingo in certain areas Now if we want to get rid of that, we need a constitutional vote. If they open up and they are legal under the law there is nothing we can do about it.”

Apparently, Strange disagreed with that statement.

Later on during the day, Greenetrack CEO Nat Winn spoke to the crowd who remained all day despite the 98+ heat.

He spoke of how Greene County receives the brunt of the actions by Strange and Bentley against electronic bingo. “You don’t see them in Birmingham,” he said, indicating that racism played a big part in the two men singling out Greene County.

Winn passed out leaflets showing that electronic bingo in Greene County had been approved on every level, beginning with the special constitutional amendment legalizing the machines to the 21-0 approval of the Alabama Senate, to the 63-0 approval of the Alabama House of Representatives, even including the pre-clearance of the special election for bingo by the U. S. Justice Department, the certification of the election of Greene County Probate Judge Earlean Isaac and the Proclamation which allowed Greene County to operate electronic bingo signed by Governor Bob Riley.

He spoke of how Bentley constantly referred to his religion and told the crowd that everyone there should show up at the 11:00 a.m. service at Bentley’s church, 1st Baptist of Tuscaloosa, this coming Sunday. He said that vans and buses would be available to transport anyone who wished to attend the service. “Wonder if we will be welcome there?” asked one man in the crowd.

There will be a 6 p.m. meeting at the Greene County Courthouse on Thursday, June 2nd, to make arrangements to attend the church services.

“We’ve tried everything else,” said Winn. “Now it is time for prayer!”