Special Session resumes with talk of second special session

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Gov Robert Bentley speaking
Photo Credit: Governor Robert Bentley Flickr

Alabama Today is hearing members were told to pack for 9 days for the special session and to be ready to get comfortable once they get there because they will be working straight through the remaining days.

While Governor Bentley may be optimistic about the upcoming special session, those we’ve talked to believe that the chambers are still pretty far apart from a compromise that would balance cuts with the proposals of tax increases.

It sounds increasingly like a second special session will be needed to continue working through the differences. Then though there’s the very real possibility that there really aren’t enough legislators to pass the major tax increases Governor Robert Bentley has demanded.

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh seems very hesitant to even take up most of the proposed increases while Speaker Mike Hubbard learned during the regular session that he has his own band of members, a group of outspoken freshman, who are also opposed to breaking their promise to voters by passing tax increases.

House and Senate leadership made themselves clear prior to the Governor calling the session for this early date that they weren’t ready. We will see if the Governor’s surprise and risky move, of forcing their hand calling the special session so early, pays off for him or shows the continued disconnect in long term solutions for the state.

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