June 5, 2023 Group Watch: The Alabama Property Protection Act is Now Law

Governor Ivey has signed The Alabama Property Protection Act into law. It prohibits the governments of China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from purchasing certain property in the state, including property used for agriculture or forestry or property that is within 10 miles of military installations and other critical infrastructure, which includes airports, seaports, power plants, water and wastewater treatment plants, gas terminals and certain other facilities. ”Foreign principals of concern” are identified as the governments, government officials, political parties and political party members of the “foreign countries of concern,” which are listed as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. “Foreign principals of concern” also include any country or government on the sanctions list of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: New AL Law Bans Transgender Women from Collegiate Female Sports

Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation that will ban transgender women from playing on female sports teams in college, making Alabama the latest state to place restrictions on transgender athletes. She says the law is about “fairness,” and the legislation expands the state’s existing 2021 ban on transgender athletes on K-12 sports teams to include college teams. Students assigned one sex at birth would be prohibited from playing under a different gender identity, even after undergoing hormone treatment. This bill is part of a wave of restrictions on transgender people being pushed in conservative states. At least 20 states have now imposed restrictions on transgender athletes at the K-12 or collegiate level, or both. Alabama lawmakers approved bills restricting bathroom and locker room usage and a ban on the use of gender-affirming hormones and puberty blockers to treat transgender minors. A judge has temporarily blocked the medication ban from taking effect while a court challenge goes forward.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Governor Ivey Points to Consistent Pay Raises for Teachers 

Last week, Governor Ivey touted her support of Alabama’s hard-working teachers pointing to the 2-percent pay raise included in the budget she signed and noting that when added to pay raises she’s supported in previous years, the  increase in pay for teachers during her time as governor totals 15 percent. Read her statement here.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Coach Saban Leads SEC Group on D.C. Lobbying Visit 

University of Alabama’s Coach Nick Saban is tackling the issue of collegiate athletes being paid for usage of their “name, image and likeness” in endorsements. He’ll be leading a group of other SEC coaches, athletic directors and others on a trip to Washington D.C. where they’ll ask Congress for assistance in regulating and managing athlete compensation.  Read more here.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Legislature Approves Higher Ed Loan Program

The Alabama Legislature passed The Distressed Institutions of Higher Education Revolving Loan Program Fund last week, which could rescue Birmingham-Southern College and other financially strained colleges in the state. The bill to provide temporary aid now awaits Gov.Ivey’s signature. According to the bill, to qualify for a loan, an institution – any public or private college or university in Alabama – must have been in operation in Alabama for more than 50 years, have a substantial impact on its local community and be in danger of closing due to financial distress. It must continue operations, commit to fundraising efforts during the loan period and have assets as collateral. The State Treasurer will be in charge of determining total loan amounts, repayment interest rates and disbursement timings. The state will also conduct yearly audits of loan recipients to evaluate their financial health.

May 29, 2023 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

After midnight last Thursday (so technically on Friday), The Alabama Legislature passed both the General Fund Budget and the Education Fund Budget, getting two of its most important jobs done as the 2023 regular session nears its end.

Tax legislation also was also on the agenda last week, with a tax rebate for Alabamians passing, and a bill to gradually lower the state sales tax on food was passed in the House and is expected to pass the Senate too.  

Read more on all this and other trending #alpolitics topics below.

The House and Senate will reconvene on Wednesday, May 31 . 

May 29, 2023 Group Watch: Tweet of the Week

@toddcstacy May 25 So they could be done June 8 or 9 instead of having to come back the week of the 12th. #alpolitics

May 29, 2023 Group Watch: Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play

On Tuesday (24th day of regular session): 

• The House passed general bills to establish certain conditions under which a contractor who performs work on a road, bridge, highway or street shall be granted civil immunity; to further provide for the duties and membership of the Alabama Literacy Task Force; to revise the circumstances under which the Alabama Medicaid Agency may revise the ceiling for the Medicaid reimbursement rate to nursing facilities during a given fiscal year; to create the School Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act and the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System for public K-12 education; to further provide for the compensation of retired law enforcement officers providing services as school resource officers for local boards of education; and to allow for the payment of uncontested claims on an expedited basis for the Board of Adjustment. 
• The Senate  concurred with several House messages, and after hours of deliberation, passed a bill to amend the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013 by changing the terms “failing school” and “nonfailing school” to “priority school” and “qualifying school”; and to expand scholarship opportunities for eligible students.

On Wednesday (25th day and a committee day):

• The House Ways and Means General Fund Committee approved bills to eliminate all fees associated with the issuance of a driver license or nondriver ID cards to qualified disabled veterans of the United States Armed Forces and to establish the Rural Logging Efficiency Act of 2023. 
• The House Insurance Committee approved a bill to require a design professional who does not have professional liability insurance coverage to disclose that information in writing to the client. 
• The House Education Policy Committee approved a bill to provide legislative findings and to provide a uniform system of procedural due process protections for students facing suspension or expulsion for violating the student code of conduct or state law. 
• The House Ways and Means Education Committee approved bills to provide for funding of rural hospitals by creating the Rural Hospital Investment Program; to provide a one-time rebate for the promotion of the general welfare; and to provide for the funding of public education in Alabama and other education entities such as Tuskegee University, Talladega College, Southern Preparatory Academy, formerly Lyman Ward Military Academy. 
• The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill to allow individuals 75 years of age or older to be excused from jury service. 
• The House passed general bills to provide for the surrender of an infant to an emergency medical services provider or a hospital and to provide for the surrender of an infant in a baby safety device that meets certain requirements; to provide a date certain by which valuation notices must be mailed by county assessing officials; to establish legislative findings relating to the fundamental rights of parents; and to revise the circumstances in which an individual’s pension, annuity or retirement allowance benefits under the public employees Retirement System are subject to certain recovery actions. 
• The Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee approved bills to prevent a parolee in custody from being released to parole supervision in certain circumstances; to make a supplemental appropriation to certain entities from the Opioid Treatment and Abatement Fund; to make an appropriation to certain entities from the Children First Trust Fund; to make an appropriation from the State General Fund for the Coalition Against Domestic Violence; to provide a cost-of-living increase for state employees; and to make appropriations to agencies in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government (General Fund Budget).
• The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill to revise the definition of “electronic nicotine delivery system” to include delivery of substances other than tobacco. 
• The Senate Education Policy Committee approved bills to provide additional requirements for teacher preparation programs and teacher certification and to require a child to complete kindergarten before entering the first grade. 
• The Senate approved bills to further provide for the prohibition against using a wireless telecommunications device while operating a motor vehicle; to further provide for the exceptions to the act for operable or stored motor vehicles; to further provide for contracts for which competitive bidding is not required; to further provide prohibitions on the possession of an electronic nicotine delivery system by individuals under 21 years of age; and to provide for the inspection of certain dams and reservoirs by an engineer.

On Thursday (26th day of of regular session):

• The House passed general bills including Senate-passed bills relating to education to make supplemental appropriations to various agencies; to make appropriations to Tuskegee University, Southern Preparatory Academy, formerly known as Lyman Ward Military Academy, and Talladega college; to create the Distressed Institutions of Higher Education Revolving Loan Program to be administered by the State Treasurer; relating to the Education Trust Fund Rolling Reserve Act, to further provide for annual Education Trust Fund appropriations; and to make appropriations for the support, maintenance and development of public education in Alabama (Education Trust Fund budget). 
• The Senate passed general bills including a House-passed bill to make appropriations from the Children First Trust Fund; to provide a cost-of-living increase for state employees; to make an appropriation to the Coalition Against Domestic Violence; to make supplemental appropriations to various agencies; and make appropriations for the ordinary expenses of the executive, legislative and judicial agencies of the state (General Fund budget).

On Friday (27th day of of regular session):

• The House and Senate convened at 12:01 a.m., and quickly concurred on conference committee reports on the General Fund and Education Trust Fund budgets and bills related to both budgets.  

May 29, 2023 Group Watch: Alabama Lawmakers Change Tax Rebate Again

Alabama lawmakers gave final approval to a tax rebate for Alabama taxpayers, passing a bill to provide $150 for individuals and $300 for couples filing jointly. Governor Ivey proposed a rebate of $400 for individuals and $900 for couples during her State of the State address in March. The Senate changed that to $105 for individuals and $210 for couples. The House passed a version to double that to $210 for individuals and $420 for couples. A conference committee settled on the amount on $150 and $300 for taxpayers who filed a state income tax return for 2021. The rebates will cost about $393 million, and the money will come from a $2.8 billion surplus in the Education Trust Fund.

May 29, 2023 Group Watch: Both AL Budgets Passed by Legislature

The debate over the particulars of Alabama’s two state budgets, the General Fund Budget and the Education Trust Fund Budget, continued through Thursday night and into early Friday morning. The $11.5 billion in education spending is the largest amount in state history, and it includes a $2.8 billion supplemental appropriation. The size of this appropriation was the main bone of contention, while the amount of the tax rebates for Alabamians was the largest difference between the budgets and what Governor Ivey had laid out in March. Read more here and here.