March 25, 2024 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

Differences between the House and the Senate on exactly how and how much gambling should be legalized in Alabama have put the brakes, at least temporarily, on gambling legislation introduced this session. Right now, the ball is in the House’s court, and representatives there say whether or not to pick up that ball and move it forward is up to the Speaker of the House. Stay tuned.

While gambling’s fate remains unknown, two other “headline” issues have been resolved. The bill banning ballot harvesting was signed into law by Governor Ivey last week. The new law was designed to combat voter fraud. Ivey also signed the bill banning DEI departments in state agencies and public higher education institutions.

Find more details and info on other important #alpolitics news below.

March 25, 2024 Group Watch: Tweet of the Week

March 25, 2024 Group Watch: Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play

Tuesday, 16th day: 

• The House Ways and Means General Fund Committee approved several bills, including bills to further provide for the funds the state sends to counties for the feeding of prisoners, and to provide for parental leave for certain state employees following the birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption. 
• The House approved bills to authorize the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to regulate the retail sale of certain tobacco products, including electronic nicotine delivery; to remove the requirement of Domestic and Foreign Corporations to file an annual report with the Secretary of State; to further provide for child-passenger restraint systems; and to provide sales and use tax exemption for certain purchases of diapers, baby supplies, baby formula and feminine hygiene products. 
• The Senate approved bills to provide for the expungement of records for a person with youthful offender status for a misdemeanor offense; to provide for Occupational Licensing Boards to consider the details of criminal conviction when licensing restricted;  to increase the civil and criminal penalties for employers who violate child labor laws; and to terminate the state retirement benefits for teachers and school employees upon conviction of certain sex crimes involving minors.

Wednesday, a committee day:

• The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee approved a bill to amend the Alabama Move Over Act and increase the penalties for a violation and to provide criminal penalties under certain circumstances. 
• The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill to require written consent of a parent or legal guardian for any minor to receive a vaccination. 
• The House Education Policy Committee approved bills to provide a uniform system of procedural due process protections for students facing suspension or expulsion in K-12 public education and to prohibit classroom instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation to public K-12 schools. 
• The House Children and Senior Advocacy Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to further provide prohibitions on the possession of an electronic nicotine delivery system by individuals under 21 years of age. 
• The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a House-passed bill to provide age-verification requirements for the distribution of sexual material harmful to minors through adult websites and platforms. 
• The Senate County and Municipal Government Committee approved a bill to prohibit certain entities affiliated with China from entering into public contracts with a public awarding authority.

Thursday, 17th day: 

• The House passed bills to provide state workers eight weeks paid parental leave; to establish a procedure for funding benefit increases for retired workers and educators; and to eliminate the eligibility to work form regarding child labor. 
• The Senate approved bills to continue the operations of the State Licensing Board for General Contractors; to continue the operations of the Board of Examiners of Assisted Living Administrators; and continue the operations of the Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors.

March 25, 2024 Group Watch: Gambling Legislation Stalled

Senator Greg Albritton, a longtime proponent of legalizing gambling, says the gambling package he carried in his chamber remains in the House basket, meaning the chamber has not taken action on changes made by the Senate. The House and Senate are sharply divided over the legislation, particularly over how much gambling each chamber is willing to accept. The House version includes a constitutional amendment authorizing gambling and enabling legislation, enforcement and distribution, as well as a state lottery and casino-style gambling and sports betting at seven locations around the state. Lastly, the enabling bill created a state commission to regulate gambling and allows the governor to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The Senate significantly altered the bills, eliminating sports betting and switching horse-race betting for casino gambling. House leaders say it’s up to the House Speaker to take up the Senate version from the House basket.

March 25, 2024 Group Watch: “Ban” Bills Now Law

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law a bill that aims to prevent fraud in absentee voting. The measure’s purpose is to prevent “ballot harvesting,” a term that generally means the mass distribution or collection of absentee ballot applications or ballots. (Opponents say the law criminalizes work that helps the elderly, disabled and incarcerated cast their ballots.) Under the new law, ballot harvesting is a Class C felony, punishable by one to 10 years in prison. The governor also signed into law a bill banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices, programming and training in public colleges and other state agencies. The new law bans any program that “advocates for a divisive concept.” It would also prohibit higher education institutions from allowing individuals to use a restroom that is different from their sex as assigned at birth.

March 25, 2024 Group Watch: Senators Britt & Tuberville Protect AL Farmers

Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville are working hard to protect the state’s farm-raised catfish industry, playing a key role in the U.S. Department of Commerce reversing a preliminary decision that would have slashed antidumping duties on imported catfish from companies controlled by the Vietnamese government. Britt called the reversal a victory for American catfish farmers and producers; it defends the nation’s domestic farm-raised catfish markets against unfair dumping practices. Alabama is home to more than 65 farm-raised catfish farms, predominantly across the Black Belt Region, which encompasses approximately 16,000 acres of surface water areas. The catfish industry employs more than 2,400 people and contributes nearly $92 million in economic value to the state.

March 25, 2024 Group Watch: AL Gets Good Workforce Readiness News

According to the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA), the number and percentage of Alabama public high school seniors who are workforce-ready has continued to rise since the pandemic. PARCA analyzed the results of the WorkKeys Assessment, a test given to high school seniors to gauge the skills they will need in the job market. Students can receive either a platinum, gold, silver or bronze Readiness Certificate. A student scoring silver or above has skills for 67 percent of jobs as profiled. This passing percentage marks the highest number achieved since 2019.

March 25, 2024 Group Watch: Legislature Sends “Scout’s Honor” Bill to Governor

With a unanimous (100-0) vote, the Alabama House of Representatives gave final approval to a Senate-passed bill that would allow Alabamians who suffered sexual abuse while in the Boy Scouts of America to press claims against the organization by lifting the state’s statute of limitations for civil claims on sexual abuse. Once signed into law, Alabama victims of abuse can file claims with the The Scouting Settlement Trust, a $2.7 billion fund established after the Boy Scouts filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2020 amid several lawsuits. The trust allows victims of sexual abuse to claim between $3,500 and $2.7 million. The provisions of the bill expire on December 31, 2026.

March 11, 2024 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

A recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that was negatively impacting access to IVF services in the state resulted in an uproar around Alabama (and the country) and made multiple national news broadcasts and headlines. Last week, Governor Ivey signed into law legislation to protect IVF in the state; the bill enjoyed almost unanimous support in the legislature.

Governor Ivey also signed the school choice bill, making Alabama one of 15 states offering parents and students expanded educational options.

And deja vu: Gambling is on a rocky road (again). The Senate passed gambling legislation, but the two-bill package is vastly different from the gambling bill passed earlier by the House. The ball is now in the House’s court; the next few weeks will tell if the issue of legalized gambling will, yet again, fail to make it to the ballot for a people’s vote.

Find more details and info on other important #alpolitics news below.

March 11, 2024 Group Watch: Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play

Tuesday, 13th day: 

• The Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee approved a House-passed bill entitled the CHOOSE Act to establish a refundable income tax credit to offset the cost of qualifying educational expenses. 
• The Senate Tourism Committee approved two House-passed bills relating to gaming, with changes. The bills provide for a vote of the people in September 2024 to decide if they want legalized gambling and to create an administration structure to oversee and mange legalized gambling. 
• The Senate approved bills to further provide for the Distressed Institutions of Higher Education Revolving Loan Program; and prohibit occupational licensing boards from taking adverse action with respect to off-label medical treatment when a patient has given informed consent. 

Wednesday, 14th day and a committee day:

• The House Health Committee approved a bill to prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food products made from cultured animal cells in the state.
• The House Ways and Means Education Committee approved a bill to provide for a sales and use tax exemption for certain infant supplies, maternity clothing and feminine hygiene products.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee approved bills to require an occupational licensing board to determine whether an individual’s criminal conviction disqualifies him or her from obtaining an occupational license in certain circumstances; to increase civil and criminal penalties for an employer who violates child labor laws; and to further provide for the penalties of human trafficking under certain conditions.  
• The Senate County and Municipal Government Committee approved a House-passed bill to prohibit a supervisor from retaliating against a county or municipal employee who reports certain violations. 
• The House gave final passage to a  bill that originated in the Senate to provide civil and criminal immunity to providers and patients receiving in vitro fertilization services. 
• The Senate gave final passage to a bill originating in the House also known as the CHOOSE Act, which establishes education savings account for parents of children to use in providing education services for their children. 

Thursday, 15th day: 

• The House passed a number of bills, including final passage of Senate-passed bills to require the posting of curricula on school websites and authorizing parents and legal guardians to review the materials; prohibit assistance in preparation of absentee ballots; and to place significant restrictions on the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion among publicly funded programs. 
• The Senate passed two House-passed measures with amendments relating to gambling in the state and the establishment of an Alabama Gaming Commission to administer the process.