August 2023 Group Watch: Innovate  Alabama Awards Millions to AL Small Biz

Innovate Alabama awarded more than $2.1 million to 15 small businesses in its third round of supplemental grants. Entrepreneurs who have received Phase I or Phase II SBIR or STTR grants received up to $250,000 of supplemental funding to support the growth of their small businesses. The businesses selected in this round are in Auburn, Birmingham, Huntsville and Prattville and are: Alveolus Bio, Analytical AI, Archarithms, CFD Research Corp., EngeniusMicro, Fagan Consulting, IERUS Technologies, 3-Tech, Outpost Technologies, Quadrus Advanced Manufacturing, Research in Flight, Summit Information Solutions, SemanticGuard, Xplosion Technology and Zeus Research and Technology. 

August 2023 Group Watch: Trendco USA Creating 292 Jobs at Tuskegee Facility

Columbia, South Carolina-based Trendco has committed to creating 292 jobs over five years at a facility in the new Regional East Alabama Logistics Park (REAL) in Macon County. Trendco plans to invest $43 million to launch a manufacturing operation in the new  REAL Park, a logistics hub in Tuskegee, where it will produce nitrile medical gloves. Once the glove lines are established at the Tuskegee facility, the company plans to expand production into masks and gowns, ensuring a reliable domestic source for these important PPE items to mitigate potential supply chain disruptions.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

The 2023 regular session of the Alabama Legislature is winding down, with tomorrow as its last day. Many of the bills passed in the last few months could be described with superlative terms, like biggest, record-setting and historic, including the state’s budgets and a new tax cut.

In addition to these “big” bills becoming law, last week, Governor Ivey also signed two headline-making bills, one banning several foreign governments from owning certain property in Alabama and another banning men from women’s sports. 

Find more details on this activity and other #alpolitics topics below.

The House and Senate return on Tuesday, June 6 at 1:30 p.m. for the 30^th 
and final day of the session.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Tweet of the Week

@GovernorKayIvey
June 2
It was a pleasure to welcome @alboysstate delegates to Montgomery this morning! We live in the greatest country in the world. And I have no doubt these young men are up to the task to uphold that fact for generations to come. #alpolitics

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play

On Wednesday (28th day of of regular session):

• The House Insurance Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to further provide for the exceptions to the Mandatory Liability Act for inoperable or stored motor vehicles.
• The House Ways and Means General Fund Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to further provide for the number of exempt service employees allowable in each department. 
• The House Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to establish procedures for requesting and obtaining public records. 
• The House State Government Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to provide for the inspection of certain dams and reservoirs by an engineer and require emergency action plans. 
• The full House approved a number of bills of local application only and Senate-passed bills to provide for the crime of retail theft in various degrees; to prohibit governmental entities from entering into certain contracts with companies that boycott businesses because the business engages in certain sectors or does not meet certain governance standards; to require local boards of education to install, maintain and operate video cameras in certain self-contained classrooms providing special education services; to provide for the procurement of certain professional service contracts based on competitive, qualification-based policies and procedures; to require the State Ethics Commission to provide an alleged violator with exculpatory evidence; and to change the terms “failing” school and “nonfailing” school and “qualifying” school and to expand scholarship opportunities for eligible students. 
• The Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee approved House-passed bills to establish the Preceptor Tax Incentive Program to provide income tax credit incentives for certain medical students who train in rural and underserved areas of the state, and to exclude hours worked above 40 in any given week from gross income 
• The Senate County and Municipal Government Committee approved a House-passed bill to allow for the payment of uncontested claims on an expedited basis for the Board of Adjustment. 
• The Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee approved a House-passed bill to require certain manufacturers of Internet-enabled devices to activate existing filters to restrict access to certain material. 
• The full Senate approved general bills to increase the estimated payments for state sales tax liability; to change the appointment process for the Alabama Public Charter School Commission; to authorize public institutions of higher education that employ campus police officers to also employ reserve police officers; and to establish legislative findings relating to the fundamental rights of parents. 

On Thursday (29th day of of regular session):

• The House approved a long list of bills of local application only, and Senate-passed general bills to provide for the inspection of certain dams and reservoirs by an engineer and to provide for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to serve as a public repository for dam related documents; to further provide for the number of exempt service employees allowable to each department or agency; to require state agencies to take certain measures to prevent fraud before paying benefits to recipients; to establish sunset dates for tax incentive programs; and to enhance penalties for any criminal activity that benefits, promotes or furthers the interest of a criminal enterprise. 
• The Senate passed a number of House-passed general bills to define “food” and begin reducing the state sales and use tax on food on September 1, 2023; to provide a one-time income tax rebate for the promotion of the general welfare of state taxpayers; to provide for the surrender of an infant to an emergency medical services provider or hospital; to further provide for the duties and membership of the Alabama Literacy Task Force; to further provide for the requirements of the alternative teacher preparation program; to allow for the payment of uncontested claims on an expedited basis for the Board of Adjustment; and to exclude hours worked above 40 in any given week from gross income.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Governor Ivey Signs Record-Setting State Budgets

Last week, Governor Kay Ivey signed the state’s largest-ever Education Trust Fund and General Fund budgets, as well as two supplemental spending bills. The budgets are set to govern for the fiscal year starting October 1. The education budget will channel $ 8.8 billion from the Education Trust Fund, marking an increase of 6.5% over the current year. An additional $2.8 billion will be allocated through the education supplemental bill, a surplus result due to exceeding tax revenues. The General Fund budget, marking a 6% increase from the current year, will appropriate $3 billion for non-education state programs including Medicaid, law enforcement, prisons, mental health and courts. The supplemental, with an additional allocation of $208 million from the General Fund, will support various state and local programs and projects. The 2024 budget promises a 2% raise for K-12 and community college educators. The final allocation designates $5.9 billion to K-12 learning, $2.4 billion to higher education and $195 million to early childhood education.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Legislature Passes Largest Tax Cut in AL History

State lawmakers reached a final agreement on how to cut the grocery tax. As prices have risen across the country, Alabama’s 4-percent sales tax on food has remained the same, leaving families with the compounded expense – until now. Thanks to the state’s historic $3 billion budget surplus, legislators passed a historic measure to cut the tax in half. The tax cut measure headed to Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk is a 1-percent cut this year followed by an additional 1-percent reduction next year, if education revenue stays consistent. The tax cut would reduce revenue in the Education Trust Fund by $318 million annually once fully implemented. However, that money will go back to the taxpayers at the grocery store. A movement to eliminate the grocery tax in the state has been ongoing for more than 20 years.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: New Bill Strengthens Retail Theft Laws

The Retail Theft Crime Prevention Act passed by the Alabama legislature last week and headed to Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk will add teeth to existing retail theft laws and help Alabama prosecute retail crimes and punish the criminals. The bill outlines two new offenses: retail theft and organized retail theft. The first addresses obscure shoplifting moves such as altering price tags and stealing shopping carts. The second, organized retail theft, includes offenses ranging from groups manipulating antitheft devices to using stolen or rental vehicles for theft. The act says retail theft is committed when a person uses various means to steal, including concealing merchandise, altering or removing price tags, failing to scan items or otherwise pay for items at self-checkout registers, and other means. Under the law, 1^st degree retail theft would be defined as theft of goods in excess of $2,500, or theft of one or more items totaling $1,000 or more within a 180-day period. It also includes the theft of any firearm, regardless of its value. Theft of goods exceeding $500 but not exceeding $2,500 is considered 2^nd degree theft. Some of the felony theft charges will be punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Anti-Vaping Bill Hits Opposition, Stalls in Senate

An anti-vaping bill with bi-partisan support also has stiff opposition, which led to it being carried over by the Senate on Thursday. The bill seeks to keep kids and teens from vaping by making vaping illegal for anyone under 21 and creating a state registry of those who sell vaping products to aid in enforcement. Those in favor of the legislation believe it will curtail teen vaping, but several prominent health organizations, including the Alabama Cancer Action Network, have spoken out against it and urged lawmakers to give it a “no” vote. Read more here.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Legislature Passes Parental Rights Bill

A bill to ensure parents retain the right to raise their children unanimously passed the Senate after passing the House by an overwhelming majority. Representative Kenneth Pashal (R-Pelham), the bill’s House sponsor, called parental rights “natural rights that can’t be taken by government.” It now awaits Governor Ivey’s signature. Read more here.