The 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session begins on Tuesday, and state leaders are meeting with stakeholders and developing legislation in preparation for the coming legislative session.
On Thursday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey met with the Alabama Council of Association Executives.
“It was a pleasure to visit with the Alabama Council of Association Executives this morning,” Ivey said on Twitter. “We have a busy session ahead of us, and I look forward to working with these exceptional leaders to move Alabama forward!”
Improving Alabama’s public schools has been a perplexing issue for legislators for many years. On Monday, Ivey met with her new Commission on Teaching and Learning to get input from education professionals.
“I was proud to call the first meeting of my Commission on Teaching and Learning to order this morning,” Ivey said on Twitter. “This body is tasked with helping solve the most important issue facing our state, and I have no doubt their work will lead to great outcomes for our students.”
Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter told reporters that improving education is his number one priority.
“As the legislature moves into the new quadrennium, we’ll work hard to ensure our students receive a quality education at state-of-the-art facilities,” Ledbetter said on Twitter. “We’re on the right track but have much more to accomplish.”
On Tuesday, Ledbetter and Senate Pro Tem. Greg Reed met with the Alabama Forestry Association.
“With forestry being the 2nd largest economic sector in Alabama and providing a $29 billion economic impact to the state’s economy, the value that foresters and private landowners add to Alabama is truly remarkable,” Ledbetter said on Twitter.
“Great being back with my good friend, @TripPittman and @RepLedbetter discussing legislative priorities at the @ALForestry policy seminar,” Reed said on Twitter.
Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth said that the state should find the money to six-lane I-65 that runs from Mobile thru Prichard, Atmore, Greenville, Montgomery, Prattville, Calera, Alabaster, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Birmingham, Gardendale, Cullman, Hartselle, Decatur, and Huntsville before going on to Nashville, Tennessee.
“While driving home from the Auburn/Kentucky basketball game, it’s obvious that If Tennessee can six-lane I-65, Alabama should do the same,” Ainsworth said on Facebook. “It’s my number one infrastructure project for Alabama. Let’s all work together to make it happen and end frustrating interstate gridlock.”
The Alabama Senate GOP said on Twitter, “With Alabama’s education budget surplus of more than $2.7 billion and around $1 billion in unspent federal dollars from ARPA, Pro Tem @SenatorGregReed said allocating those funds would be a top priority for this upcoming session.”
The Legislature has over $1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds yet to appropriate. Gov. Ivey is expected to call a special session in the first few days of the start of the regular session for legislators to appropriate that money. Legislators met in committee on February 21 to be briefed on how the ARPA money has previously been spent.
On February 22 and 23, the Joint Budget Committees met to hear presentations from the executive branch department heads. Improving prisons and addressing K-12 public education are the biggest issues confronting legislators in this quadrennium.
On Thursday, the House Legislative Council met on House personnel matters ahead of the pending session.
As of press time, state legislators had already pre-filed 72 bills ahead of the session.
Both Houses of the State Legislature will gavel in for Tuesday’s first legislative day of 2023. That night both Houses will join Gov. Ivey in a joint legislative session in Alabama’s historic State Capitol Building, where she will present her sixth annual state of the state address. The joint legislative budget committees will meet that morning where executive agency heads will begin outlining the Governor’s 2024 fiscal year budget requests. The Alabama Constitution of 1901 limits the Legislature to a maximum of 30 legislative days in a regular session.
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