2027 Session Preview & Our New Associate
October 13, 2026 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House
With elections coming in a few weeks and the 2027 regular session of the Alabama Legislature mere months away, political moves, policy discussions and previews of bills likely to be filed in 2027 are already making headlines. Read more on some of the most recent activity below.
And please join us in welcoming The Bloom Group’s newest associate. We’re thrilled to have him onboard, and you can learn more about the experience and expertise he brings our team below.
Changes In Alabama’s Department of Finance
Since 2021, when Governor Kay Ivey appointed him as director of the Alabama Department of Finance, Bill Poole has been a major player in decisions concerning how and where the state allocates funds. Formerly an attorney, and then an Alabama legislator, Poole stepped down from his director position in late September.
Ivey praised Poole’s service, calling him “an outstanding public servant,” and stressed how his leadership improved the state’s finances and its overall economy in multiple ways, including handling the distribution of funds during the pandemic and helping create Innovate Alabama, a public-private partnership fueling business growth across the state.
The governor named Doryan Carlton, state budget officer in the Executive Budget Office, as Poole’s replacement. Carlton brings her 26 of experience in the budget office to the role.
And Poole may have left his state job, but he’s in no way retiring. He recently announced he’s joining Harrison Construction, a Tuscaloosa-based company, with the title of vice president of finance, legal and external affairs. And, he’s starting his own consulting firm, Poole Growth Strategies.
Read more here.
Bill to Eliminate Grocery Taxes Coming in 2027
Image via Unsplash by @nicotitto
After years of debate, The Alabama Legislature made changes to the state’s grocery tax structure in 2023. Legislation passed during that session began a phased reduction, moving from 4 percent down to 3 percent in 2023 and then down to 2 percent in September 2025, which remains the current lever.
Now, Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville) plans to file a bill to bring that number down to zero. He’s long championed eliminating taxes food; he was behind the original 2023 bill.
And idea has proved popular across the political spectrum, with both Alabama gubernatorial candidates endorsing no state sales tax on most grocery items.
Read more here.
Flock Cameras Could Be On the Chopping Block
Amid privacy and abuse concerns, Alabama lawmakers will likely consider legislation addressing Flock cameras this session. The cameras — which read and capture vehicle license plates — have been on streets and highways nationwide for years and used to solve crimes, including child abduction cases.
But they’ve gained negative attention recently as some cases of misuse by law enforcement have come to light and have raised concerns about the camera’s constitutional status. Florida recently banned Flock cameras altogether, and multiple Alabama legislators have voiced support for a bill or bills addressing the cameras’ issues, if not an outright ban.
Read more here.
Budget & Revenue News Ahead of the 2027 Session
Recent reports show that the state’s 2026 fiscal year revenues have exceeded expecations, which could make the budgeting and allocation process smoother next session. But, as Legislative Services Agency Deputy Director Kirk Fulford explains in the below linked article, multiple factors impact the state’s General Fund and Education Trust Fund budgets, including some looming and neccessary costs like funds needed for SNAP and state health insurance programs.
Read more here.
Meet The Bloom Group: (left to right) John Guthrie Jr., Harris Sanderson, Stephanie Norrell, Hal Bloom (principal/founder), Allen Sanderson (principal), Sara Elizabeth Burnham (vice president), James Dupree Jr., John Floyd.