The Alabama House Democratic Caucus released its legislative agenda on Wednesday after Gov. Kay Ivey’s State of the State address.
The Caucus said that their agenda was “pro-growth, pro-innovation, and pro-Alabama.”
Rep. Anthony Daniels opened the conference, stating that “we all win” when Alabama focuses on those goals, arguing that the group aims to “move Alabama forward.” Daniels argued that it’s time for Alabama to “rebuild and recover” and not focus on issues that will divide the state.
The caucus also called upon Republicans, who enjoy a supermajority status in the Legislature, to spend federal relief funds on health care, and asked leadership to encourage “sustainable, long-term economic growth.”
Policy director Adline Clarke called on a tax cut on small businesses, stating, “We vehemently opposed the majority’s efforts to defy and replace federal vaccination mandates with conflicting state mandates. This has now, essentially, resulted in the largest tax, or burdens, on small businesses in the history of Alabama.”
The caucus also renewed calls to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and called to repeal the state’s 4 percent tax on groceries. Additionally, they want to expand early voting, and call on the state to provide pay raises to teachers and retired educators.
AL.com reported that Daniels urged lawmakers to be mindful of any grant programs they authorized with the federal funds. He said that local matching funds, while often available in cities with strong revenue bases, are not often a solution in cities where budgets were hit hard during the pandemic.
“There are communities across the state of Alabama not collecting revenue at the level they had been in the past. We need to look at this problem holistically so communities have a fair shot across the board and not just communities that can afford it,” Daniels commented.
Rep. Pebblin Warren discussed using funds to incentivize doctors to relocate to Alabama, noting a shortage in healthcare workers.
“We know a healthy Alabama is a basic foundation for our wellness. Simply put, there has never been a more important time to expand Medicaid. We need to do everything we can to ensure access to affordable and quality health care.”
Daniels also spoke about the GOP and the agenda that focuses on issues that he argued as not important, like Critical Race Theory and Republicans’ call to remove the requirement to purchase a permit to possess a concealed handgun.
Daniels argued that the conceal carry measure has been opposed by sheriffs.
“It hurts our public safety,” Daniels stated. “This is an issue that we are on the side of law enforcement on, and we are working alongside all of the citizens of Alabama because it’s dangerous.”
“They’ve referenced Birmingham in one of the articles that I read, but they failed to say one word about January 6th,” Daniels said.
Daniels reflected on the lives lost to COVID-19 and the prison system, stating those are more important issues.
“We are focusing on things that continue to divide us as a state. Those days should be gone.”
