Alabama lawmakers advance pared down budgets amid COVID-19

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Alabama State House
Photo Credit: AL House Republicans

Alabama lawmakers advanced pared down state budgets on Tuesday amid uncertain revenue projections because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The House Ways and Means Education Committee advanced a $7.2 billion education budget that skips a 3% pay raise lawmakers had hoped to give teachers and public school employees.

The Education Trust Fund is fueled by sales and income tax collections, two revenue streams expected to be heavily affected by coronavirus-related business closures. The committee-passed spending plan is about $300 million less than what Gov. Kay Ivey had proposed before the economic downturn.

The committee also approved a $1.25 billion bond issue for public schools, universities and two-year colleges to use for capital improvements.

The bond issue would be the largest through the Public School and College Authority since 2007, when lawmakers approved a $1.07 billion bond issue at the urging of then-Gov. Bob Riley.

Ivey proposed the bond issue in her State of the State address earlier this year.

The Alabama Senate voted 31-0 for a General Fund budget that directs funding increases to a few key state agencies, including the state prison system, Medicaid and the state public health and mental health agencies.

Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.