Legislature Approves Shark Alert System, Farm Health Plans in Landmark Week
Group Watch- May 5th, 2025
News & Views from the Statehouse
More bills in the "Safe Alabama" package passed last week, making Governor Ivey, who called increased public safety one of her top priorities for this session, happy. A bill establishing a shark-alert system, dubbed "Lulu's law," passed last week too; Alabama is the first state in the country to enact such a law. And in a huge win for our state's farmers, the Alfa Health Plans legislation also made it through the legislature last week; the Senate vote of 30-2 (with two abstentions) was evidence of overwhelming support for the measure.
Read below for more details on all of this and other Alabama political news.
X Post of the Week
Bill Status Update: April 21st- May 1st
A flurry of activity and action in the State House last week led to multiple bills moving forward. Check out this list highlighting all the legislation that passed.
Alfa Health Plans Bill Gains Final Passage
When the Alfa Health Plans bill was passed in the Senate last Thursday—meaning it now heads to Governor Ivey's desk to become law—Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell noted the importance of the legislation to our state's farming families, saying it will help them overcome financial challenges and keep their family businesses sustainable for future generations. The bill allows the Federation to offer its members health coverage as a member-benefit option and is expected to greatly reduce farmer-members' healthcare costs. Read more here.
Big Education Budget Ready for Governor's Signature
A record-setting Education Trust Fund Budget passed the legislature last week, sending it to Governor Ivey for signature. The $12 billion package is historic for the amount of dollars allocated (marking a 6-percent increase over 2025's ETF budget), but it also introduces a new formula for funding Alabama schools that puts more money toward specific issues, such as educating students with special needs and those in poverty. Watch more here.
Public Safety Package Making Progress
Several bills designed to make Alabama residents safer and better support law enforcement have passed this session, and two more joined the list last week. They are all part of the Governor-Ivey-backed "Safe Alabama" package. One expands restrictions on bail eligibility; the other expands who cannot possess a firearm after being convicted of a crime. Three more bills in the package still await passage, but Ivey said she expects them to gain final approval this week. Read more here.
Alabama Legislature Passes First-of-its-Kind Shark Alert Bill
Following a unanimous "yes" vote in the Senate, "Lulu's law" heads to Governor Ivey, who's already indicated she'll sign it. It will create a shark-attack alert system, which will be the first of its kind in the country. The measure was crafted in response to a horrific shark attack last summer where Alabama teen Lulu Gribbin survived a series of life-threatening shark bites while swimming in the Gulf of America in Florida. Earlier in the session, Gribbin visited the State House to voice her support for the bill. Read more here.
From left to right: John Guthrie, Harris Sanderson, Stephanie Norrell, Hal Bloom (principal), Allen Sanderson(principal), Sara Elizabeth Burnham (vice president), James Dupree, John Floyd.