Alabama legislative week in review: May 26-28
The 26th legislative day ended with reports from House and Senate lawmakers that an August Special Session is likely in order to finish discussions on overcoming the states short-term and long-term budget shortfalls. Agenda items before lawmakers in August could include Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh’s lottery and gaming proposal, various measures to increase state revenue, and a controversial proposal from Sen. Gerald Dial to eliminate earmarks and unify the education and general fund budgets. At a public hearing on Wednesday, agency chiefs outlined a list of horrible outcomes — from prison closures to shortages in mental health services — should the austere general fund budget come to fruition. Despite those concerns, lawmakers gave the budget proposal a favorable report by a vote of 13-0, moving the stripped-down budget closer to reality. Here is a quick week in review going through all of the major headlines from this week’s legislative agenda: Alabama lawmakers offered a final unanimous vote on a bill that would allow physicians to prescribe terminally ill patients promising, but unapproved medical treatments. House Bill 463, known as the Right to Try Act, allows doctors caring for people with terminal illnesses to prescribe medications that the Food and Drug Administration has deemed promising, but not yet ready for mass consumption. Thursday’s vote makes Alabama one of at least 12 states that have passed right to try legislation this year. • • • The Alabama House passed a bill to establish integrated care networks to allow more Medicaid recipients to stay in their homes instead of nursing homes. • • • The House also voted 68-26 to expand the Alabama Accountability Act and tighten restrictions on scholarships and the groups that distribute them.’ • • • Gov. Robert Bentley appointed the state’s first commission to oversee Alabama’s 25 community and technical colleges. Lawmakers say the eight-member commission will help schools to focus on developing more specialized training programs and preparing entry-level employees to meet growing workforce demands. • • • The House Judiciary committee offered a favorable report on House Bill 657, to ban employment discrimination on the basis of “immutable” characteristics that do not effect job performance. Bill sponsor Rep. Mike Ball said that the measure would protect differences in gender expression, gender identity and sexual orientation. The following day, lawmakers blocked House Bill 615, Rep. Chris England’s proposal to establish civil rights protections against any discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or familiar status.
Senate delays vote on controversial plan to unify state budget
After a lengthy debate on the Senate floor late Thursday, lawmakers voted to carry over a bill to unify the Alabama general fund and education budgets. Sen. Gerald Dial filed Senate Bill 502 to allow voters to decide whether to establish a single state budget and remove any recommendations or limits on how funds within that budget should be spent. On Thursday, Dial again urged lawmakers to allow the issue to go before the voters of Alabama: “I’m trying to offer another alternative to some of the problems we’re in.” Dial repeated the reasoning he used during the finance and taxation committee meeting this week, when he said that without the practice of earmarking, or placing limits on how money is spent within the budget, Alabama lawmakers might have a different set of funding decisions to make this session. Sen. Rodger Smitherman, a Democrat, spent more than an hour attempting to block the legislation over concerns that the proposal would erase funding for Alabama’s public schools. “I’m standing here for every child in Jefferson County because they can’t vote,” Smitherman said. “I’ve heard the facts, we are 49th in this country [for education], we can’t fully fund textbooks, the last time the teachers had a raise was 2008 […] now we’re saying that there’s enough money left in the Education Trust Fund to fund all these other things. Not on the backs of our young people.” The decision to carry over the legislation was made by voice vote.
Alabama House passes $6B education budget
Alabama House members passed a $6 billion state education budget on Thursday by a unanimous vote. Rep. Bill Poole, chair of the education committee said the goal of Senate Bill 179 was to shore up funding to classrooms. The budget includes a $13 million increase for textbooks and more than $10 million for the Alabama’s nationally-acclaimed Pre-K program. Lawmakers discussed the budget for less than an hour before voting unanimously for its passage. The Senate will need to address minor changes to the bill and vote for final approval.
Alabama legislative agenda preview: May 19-21
This promises to be a busy week at the Statehouse. Several news outlets are already reporting plans by House Speaker Mike Hubbard and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh to hold a press conference Monday to introduce “budget reform initiatives.” So far, no details have been made public. Keep checking ALToday.com for news. In budget-related news, House Bill 135, the general fund budget passed by the House ways and means committee on Thursday, is scheduled for a floor vote on Tuesday. However, Gov. Robert Bentley has already vowed to veto that proposal, calling it “unworkable” and “irresponsible.” The Ways and Means Education Committee is expected to vote on the state education budget on Tuesday afternoon. Senate Bill 179 has already passed the Senate. Also on Tuesday, House members are scheduled to debate appropriations for the Children’s First Trust Fund (House Bill 129) and the Coalition Against Domestic Violence (House Bill 134). Here are other items on the legislative agenda this week: •The Senate Judiciary committee is scheduled to vote on Senate Bill 468, also known as the Alabama Dog Tethering and Outdoor Shelter Act. Sen. Jabo Waggoner filed the bill to make it illegal for dog owners to tie their pets to stationary objects and says that any pet kept outside must have adequate food, water, and shelter. The dog chaining bill could be the last of four closely watched protections against animal cruelty this session. •The committee will also debate a proposal to penalize sex offenders who fail to register with the county in which they plan to reside. Sponsored by Rep. Juandalynn Givan, House Bill 316 also requires sex offenders to provide law enforcement with a list of any Internet providers they use. •A Senate health panel will consider Senate Bill 318, legislation to grant immunity to minors under the influence of alcohol or drugs and seeking medical help for another minor. •The House committee on education policy will hear Senator Waggoner present details on House Bill 664, a plan to allow members of the Alabama Public Charter School Commission to be appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, president pro tempore of the Senate, and the speaker of the House of Representatives rather than the state board of education. •At 9 a.m. Wednesday, a House panel will hear public argument centering on tightening regulations of the title loan industry. House Bill 400, sponsored by Rep. Rod Scott, would require licensing for title loan offices and establish caps on charges, fees, and interest for title loans. •Rep. Arnold Mooney will appear before the House Judiciary Committee to present his measure banning assisted suicide in Alabama. House Bill 496 imposes civil and criminal penalties on medical professionals and care providers who provide help in dying under certain conditions.
Alabama Statehouse week in review: May 12-14
Thursday was Day 22 of the Alabama Legislative Session, which means lawmakers have just eight days left to pass budgets for public education and the general fund. Gov. Robert Bentley told The Huntsville Times this week that “the only constitutional duty that the Legislature has is to pass budgets … All this other stuff is just extra. If they fail at that job, then they’ve had a failed session – even though we’ve passed a lot of good bills.” House Republicans did pass a general fund budget out of the Ways and Means Committee on Thursday. The budget includes cuts to Medicaid, prisons and mental health. The proposal includes no tax increases, since House GOP members successfully pulled those from consideration Tuesday. Ways and Means General Fund Chairman Steve Clouse said in a prepared statement that that the budget package is simply a vehicle to send to the Senate so lawmakers there can send back their own budget proposal. On the heels of Clouse’s statement, Bentley issued his own strong language to the Legislature via reporters: “This budget is unworkable, it’s irresponsible, it really hurts people. The people who depend on the general fund for services – and that really includes everybody in the state of Alabama – will be hurt by this budget.” The governor also said that a Special Session is “certainly more likely.” Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing cleared Sen. Del Marsh’s gambling proposal by a 5-3 vote. Several items not related to budget moved out of the Alabama statehouse this week. Here are a few that we’ve been watching: Funding for the Children First Trust Fund (House Bill 129) was approved by the House Ways and Means Committee by a unanimous voice vote. As money from the landmark tobacco settlement comes to Alabama, legislators appropriate a portion to the Children First Trust Fund to cover juvenile services, mental health and substance abuse programs, and child abuse and neglect. • • • Lawmakers gave a favorable report to House Bill 563 this week, though bill sponsor Rep. Patricia Todd told AL.com that the bill may not get much farther. She and Rep. Howard Sanderford sponsored the legislation to ensure that only licensed veterinarians can make medical or surgical decisions on the treatment of animals. The bill also says spay and neuter clinics would be regulated as veterinary facilities. • • • A bill to give judges, ministers and other officiants the right to refuse to perform marriage ceremonies is inching closer to becoming law, after a favorable report by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. House Bill 56 passed the House in mid-March after four hours of emotional debate, AL.com reported. Bill sponsor Rep. Jim Hill said he brought the legislation after hearing from judges and ministers concerned about being forced to perform marriage ceremonies for gay couples. • • • The Senate Judiciary Committee also gave a favorable report to House Bill 237, a bill that would give grandparents the right to petition for visitation with their grandchildren. • • • Lawmakers voted down a bill that would impose term limits on the State Board of Education. The Montgomery Advertiser reported that committee members were concerned about the potential loss of institutional knowledge. • • • The Senate Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development voted in favor of Senate Bill 452, legislation brought forth by Sen. Bill Holtzclaw to allow brewpubs to sell beer for off-premise (as well as on-premise) consumption. Keep checking ALToday.com for updates.
Lawmakers move bills on marriage, children closer to law
In case you missed it, panels in the Alabama House and Senate considered several key bills Wednesday. Here are a few that have been on our radar: •A bill to give judges, ministers and other officiants the right to refuse to perform marriage ceremonies is inching closer to becoming law, after a favorable report by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. House Bill 56 passed the House in mid-March after four hours of emotional debate, AL.com reported. Bill sponsor Rep. Jim Hill said that he brought the legislation after hearing from judges and ministers concerned about being forced to perform marriage ceremonies for gay couples. •The Senate Judiciary Committee also gave a favorable report to House Bill 237, a bill that would give grandparents the right to petition for visitation with their grandchildren. That bill passed the House in late April. •House Bill 129, the appropriations bill for the Children’s First Trust Fund, was approved by the House ways and means committee by a unanimous voice vote. As money from the landmark tobacco settlement comes to Alabama, legislators appropriate a portion to the Children’s First Trust Fund to cover juvenile services, mental health and substance abuse programs, and child abuse and neglect. •Lawmakers gave a favorable report about House Bill 563 on Wednesday, though bill sponsor Rep. Patricia Todd told AL.com that the bill may not get much further. She and Rep. Howard Sanderford sponsored the legislation to ensure that only licensed veterinarians can make medical or surgical decisions on the treatment of animals. The bill also says spay and neuter clinics would be regulated as veterinary facilities. •The Senate committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development voted in favor of Senate Bill 452, legislation brought forth by Sen. Bill Holtzclaw to allow brewpubs to sell beer for off-premise (as well as on-premise) consumption. •Lawmakers voted down Senate Bill 465, a bill that would impose term limits on the State Board of Education. The Montgomery Advertiser reported that committee members were concerned about the potential loss of institutional knowledge. •A proposal to pool the state’s two major budget funds, the and the General Fund, into a new Alabama Recurring Expense Fund was rejected by a Senate panel. Sen. Paul Sanford said Senate Bill 12 would allow the general fund to share in some of the growth revenue now earmarked for what is essentially a savings account in the Education Trust Fund. We’re still waiting for committee decisions on the education budget and the General Fund budget. Votes on those bills have been rescheduled for at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. Sen. Del Marsh’s gaming legislation is scheduled for committee vote at 9:30 a.m. The full committee schedule is available here.
Plan to boost Baldwin County schools revenue handed stinging defeat
A plan by the Baldwin County School System dubbed “Build Baldwin Now” was voted down by Baldwin voters in more than 30 of the county’s 45 voting precincts. Though a vote to renew one existing 3-mill property tax survived, the four other millage plans the coalition had hoped to use to inject some $28 million into the schools for a $350 million new school construction plan went down in flames in the March 31 local election. “I do think rural people felt put upon by more affluent areas,” said Lou Campomenosi, president of the anti-tax Common Sense Campaign. “People were energized. They did not accept arguments for the tax. They feel that they were taxed enough already. And that they also felt enough is enough.” Education infrastructure experts have cited both short- and long-term negative consequences stemming from the lack of adequate millage rates to fund new permanent classrooms and staffing positions. “If we are competing for the same company and [a competing county or city] is able to demonstrate they are spending money both in education and in facilities, and we are having to answer that same question in a manner that states that not only are we not investing in facilities but we are taking money out of education, it will hurt us in competing for those new jobs and for those new companies,” Baldwin County Economic Development Council Lee Lawson told AL.com last week. According to the pro-millage plan advocates, Baldwin — the fastest growing county in the state — is in desperate need of new sources of funding. “Alabama is now No. 1 in the nation in education funding cuts since 2008. That means Alabama officials chose to reduce per pupil expenditures as a result of the recession more than any other state. ($1,128 / per student / per year.),” according the Build Baldwin Now website. “All told, Alabama’s Education Trust Fund has been reduced by almost $1 billion in just six years.” Not only were the group’s plans to bring Baldwin up to parity with more affluent districts such as Mountain Brook and Homewood City shot down, the school system actually lost one 3-mill renewal, leaving an even larger hole in the district’s 2015-2016 budget.
