MONTGOMERY — Considering the lousy condition of the economy across the nation and around the world, it should no surprise that the Alabama Legislature will be spending the majority of its time in the weeks ahead working on ways to patch holes in the state's Education and General Fund budgets.

Rep. Richard Lindsey, D-Centre, chairman of the Education Trust Fund Committee, confirmed as much to The Post last Thursday as the 2010 regular session opened.

“It looks like, of course, finances will dominate the session,” Lindsey said via telephone from his office in the Statehouse. “With this economy, the Education Trust Fund has been reduced by $1.4 billion since 2008.”

Lindsey said the 20 percent reduction in funding means lawmakers will soon begin looking for ways to save the jobs of as many teachers and support personnel as possible. In the past, whenever the state's education spending has been cut, teachers have faired better than support staffers. Lindsey explained why.

“What happens with support personnel is the line item known as 'operating expense,' and that line often gets a bigger hit than others” when cuts are necessary, he said. “We are going to try to keep as many of our support personnel employed as possible by stretching the available dollars as far as we can.”

Lindsey said a second federal stimulus bill, currently under consideration in Washington, D.C., could send $345 million to Alabama and partially alleviate the state's education funding dilemma.

“If the bill passes in Washington while we are in session it would help us balance the Education Trust Fund and keep more people working,” Lindsey said.

But he stressed that the federal bill would not even return the state to current funding levels for education.

“I think we will have a leaner year but I think we intend to pass a budget that will protect as many jobs as possible,” Lindsey said. “If we lose teachers, we lose educational opportunities for our kids. And we're bare bones right now for the numbers we need to provide adequate classes.”

Lindsey said another topic Alabamians should be expecting to see often in the news over the next several weeks is gambling.

“That issue will definitely be on the front burner this year,” Lindsey said. “My take is that we've got a number of facilities all over the state that are not regulated, provide no tax dollars to the state, and can expand however they want.”

Lindsey said he would favor a law that allows casinos to remain open, as long as the wording provided for “regulation, taxation and governance” of any gambling facilities in Alabama.

There is currently at least one bill, proposed by Rep. Marcel Black, D-Tuscumbia, that would establish state oversight of gambling operations in Alabama.

“The money generated from something like that could be a great help to both the Education Trust Fund and the General Fund, which is also down substantially,” he said.

Lindsey said he is also keeping an eye on the latest round of fighting between Alabama, Georgia and Florida over water sharing. Lindsey said he believes there is a simple solution to the crisis, especially for three states in the southeastern United States, which he called “the most water-rich area of the entire nation.”

“We need to quit arguing so much about distribution and start working together to conserve more water and store more water with additional reservoirs,” Lindsey said. “There is plenty of land in northwest Georgia and other areas that are not densely populated where we could store water.”

The current regular session of the Legislature began on July 12 and has until April 26 (105 days) to hold 30 meetings. There are typically two meeting or "legislative" days per week, with other days devoted to committee meetings.