All eyes were focused on first readings as a wide-ranging bill from Senator Del Marsh was introduced. Marsh’s bill, which is not final, will address the casino gambling issue, with limited expansion in certain parts of the state, and also includes a call for a lottery and the legalization of
The legislature has moved quickly and accomplished a lot already, but when it reconvenes next week, there’s still a lot to do, and there’s a long list of issues on the table, many of which are likely to stir up intense disagreements. Bills concerning guns, the governor’s emergency powers, marijuana,
A bill that makes Alabamians’ COVID-19 relief funds exempt from being taxed by the state has cleared its final hurdle. The Alabama Senate passed one of the top priority bills of the session just a week after House approval. The legislation also makes modifications to the state’s corporate tax code
The Alabama Legislature’s 2021 Regular Session began last week, with COVID-19 and education concerns taking center stage. Read on for a quick breakdown of House and Senate activity and see below for more details on the Governor’s plans and priorities for the coming months. Wednesday, February 3 (2nd legislative day and a committee day):
@willainsworthAL Feb. 2 Since Republicans took the Legislature in 2010, Del Marsh has been an honest, inspirational, and fair-minded Senate President Pro Tem. Our thanks to Sen. Marsh for helping reform AL’s government, and we wish our new Pro Tem Greg Reed much success as he leads the upper chamber.
Last week, Governor Kay Ivey gave the annual “state of the state” address from the old House Chamber in the Alabama State Capitol to a virtual and television audience. Her remarks largely focused on helping the state recover from the coronavirus pandemic and on distribution of the vaccine, and she
Alabama state revenue is solid and safe for the current budget year thanks to conservative budgeting, Rolling Reserve Act safeguards and the growth of online sales tax revenue from the Simplified Sellers Use Tax. The governor announced her proposal for a 2 percent raise for public education employees, which seems to
After this Thursday, the legislature will push pause for a week. The break will give lawmakers the chance to evaluate how well COVID-19 safety measures in the Senate and House have worked and to assess the status of legislation in progress to set priorities for the coming weeks. Both the
Last Tuesday, Senator Greg Reed (R-Jasper) was sworn in as the Alabama Senate’s president pro tempore. He was elected to the position — the upper chamber’s highest — by a unanimous vote. Reed has served in the Senate since 2010 and was previously the majority leader in the Senate; a
