Two New Sales Tax Holidays Possible & Bill Making Changes to the AL Public Service Commission Stalled
February 16, 2026 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House
Four weeks of the Alabama Legislature’s regular session are behind us, and multiple bills have advanced through both chambers. But there’s still work to be done, and a few bills will likely face some hurdles. Check out a few highlights.
Looking Back: Bills Making Progress
Protection, particularly for kids and victims of sexual crimes, emerged as a running theme among several pieces of legislation that garnered “yes” votes last week.
One of the policies grabbing a lot of attention so far this session, HB161 — a bill requiring app stores to verify the age of those downloading apps and obtain parental consent for app downloads with minors are involved — passed the House unanimously after agreeing with Senate amendments. It’s now headed to Governor Ivey for her signature.
Sponsored by Representative Margie Wilcox, R-Mobile, HB243 increases the punishment for driving under the influence, bumping the offense up from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C or B felony, depending on the victim’s injury. After getting 103 affirmative votes (there were two abstentions), it makes its way to the Senate.
HB26, which limits access to post office boxes and electronic media for those convicted of sexual offenses involving a minor, is headed to the Senate after passing the House 103-0, while SB30, which bans nondisclosure agreements related to sexual abuse, passed the House unanimously and awaits the governor’s signature to become law.
And a bill to improve the emergency response system in the state passed 100-0 with three abstentions. Sponsored by Representative Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, HB268, allows for the state 911 Board to monitor the call statistics of local communication districts, investigate claims that a district’s response is inadequate, and if needed, take over control of said district.
Find more details and a list of all the legislation passed last week, here.
Looking Ahead: Firearm Sales Tax Holiday Advances
Image via Unsplash by Aaron James
Much of the legislation moving through the legislature thus far has done so without contention. Multiple bills have sailed through with little resistance. But HB360, a bill exempting guns from sales tax for a few days has hit some push back. Legislation to create the “Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday” on the last weekend in August would allow the tax-free purchase of firearms and related items, including ammunition and other hunting supplies, and is designed to increase access to the state’s abundant outdoor sporting opportunities. The bill gained approval from the House Ways and Means Education Committee and heads to the full House for a vote, but one Democrat called the bill “unfathomable,” so there will likely be some lively debate. Read more here.
Bill to Change Up AL’s Public Service Commission Pulled
Part of three-bill package called the Alabama Affordability Protection Plan, the bill to change how members of the Alabama Public Service Commission come to serve was supposed to come up in the House last week, but was removed from the House calendar. APSC board members are currently elected by Alabama voters; if passed, the bill pulled would require members to be appointed by the governor and then confirmed by the Senate. Bill supporters say the move is designed to take politics out of utility regulation in the state. Detractors claim the bill will do just the opposite. House Speaker Ledbetter says he had the votes in the House but felt the Senate “wasn’t ready” yet for the bill. It remains to be seen if the bill will show back up this session. Read more here.
Quick Hits
Check out some other activity and action important to #alpolitics.
In an effort to help Alabamians stay ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at us, the state declared a Severe Weather Preparedness Tax Holiday for February 20-22. On these days, severe weather readiness supplies are exempt from sales tax.
The bill to make sexual assault of a minor punishable by the death penalty in Alabama has now passed both the House and the Senate.
X Post of the Week
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.