Lottery talk renews in upcoming special session
Some legislators anticipate renewed debate over a state lottery in the upcoming special session but are also uncertain if the idea has much of a chance. Lawmakers convene Tuesday evening to begin a special session on a state budget shortfall. Several legislators say they expect bills calling for a statewide vote on a lottery to be introduced. Gov. Robert Bentley said Friday that he thought that there was more public support for an Alabama lottery than establishing casinos. However, the governor says he is uncertain if there are enough votes to get any gambling bill through the Alabama Legislature. Alabama voters would have to approve the idea of establishing a state lottery. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Judge says Mike Hubbard got sufficient summary of ethics charges
A judge says indicted House Speaker Mike Hubbard has been given a sufficient summary of the evidence against him. Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker on Friday rejected a defense request for a more definite statement from prosecutors of how they allege Hubbard broke the law. Walker says the plain language of the indictment and prosecutors’ court filings have provided adequate notice. Hubbard faces 23 ethics charges accusing him of using his public offices to benefit his businesses. He has pleaded not guilty. His trial was initially scheduled for October. Walker has tentatively delayed it until March. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama lawmakers begin second special session on budget
Alabama lawmakers are returning to Montgomery for their third attempt at approving a general fund budget. The special session begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday evening. Legislators have so far been unable to agree on how to handle a projected funding shortfall of at least $200 million. Gov. Robert Bentley is asking lawmakers to approve a 25-cent-per-pack cigarette tax and other tax increases to avoid cuts to state services. However, legislators have so far been resistant to his ideas, citing an opposition to tax increases. Bentley in June vetoed a cut-filled budget that lawmakers approved in the regular session. A first special session also ended without a budget. The lack of agreement means state agencies are without a spending plan for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Donald Trump surge challenges Jeb Bush to fight, yet keep the ‘joy’
Jeb Bush wanted to run for president as a joyful front-runner, above the fray of the pack. Instead, he heads into the fall campaign as a fighter with a foil: Donald Trump. There’s a new urgency in Bush’s tone as a candidate. It’s moved from frustration and annoyance with Trump’s constant needling to a willingness to confront the brash billionaire and call him out for his antics. And though he still relies on the policy-driven arguments that suit his wonkish style, the son and brother of former presidents is also acknowledging what’s powered Trump’s rise: outrage with the political class his family embodies. Such anger alone, he says, cannot prevail. “I believe that a conservative can win, campaigning with his arms wide open, with joy in his heart, speaking about the hopes and aspirations of the people, being on the side of the people that right now don’t see their lives in the future being better than what they have today,” Bush told a crowded hall in New Hampshire late last week. Bush’s aides argue there was no “aha!” moment for the former Florida governor that triggered a shift in strategy. Instead, they say, the threat posed by Trump — who has held steady atop polls nationally and in the early voting states for the past six weeks — has awakened an instinctive sense of drive. “It’s something about Jeb’s makeup,” said spokesman Tim Miller. “He is an extremely competitive person, in all aspects of life. He recognizes that this is a race he has to earn.” Bush remains viewed by many in the party — as well among his opponents — as the most likely candidate to emerge from the unwieldy GOP field to win the nomination. That’s due in large part to the more than $114 million Bush has raised for his campaign and allied super PAC — far and away the most of any 2016 White House effort — and the television advertising that money buys. The super PAC is scheduled to begin $21.8 million in advertising in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina this month. “He’s still the front-runner, though others could compete” said veteran GOP presidential adviser Charlie Black, who isn’t aligned with any 2016 candidate. He predicted the ads will change public opinion. Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton often mentions Bush by name, although she has taken to talking about Trump more often in recent weeks. In doing so, she’s tried to link Bush to Trump’s policies on immigration — an issue on which the two men have vastly different ideas. And while Trump is an equal opportunity belittler, fighting back against anyone he deems “not nice,” he, too, focuses more often than not on Bush. “As far as Jeb is concerned,” Trump said, “I watched him this morning on television and it’s a little bit sad. Don’t forget, he was supposed to win. And he just doesn’t have the energy.” He made the comment on a day when he pledged to remain a Republican. Bush displayed plenty of energy during his run through New Hampshire last week. More than 200 voters got a taste of the new approach, and some uncharacteristically blunt language, after a woman asked Bush during a campaign stop in the state’s northern lake community if he’s afraid that contrasting himself with Trump will turn off voters. “I’m going to push back when he says things that are ugly,” Bush replied. “I sure as hell am going to, when he attacks me personally or disparages my family. Damn right, I’m going to fight back.” But, he added to whoops and cheers, “I’m not going to participate in some reality TV show.” During the same trip, after Trump suggested Bush should only speak English while in the U.S., the bilingual candidate defiantly told factory workers the GOP should campaign with “brazos abiertos” — or open arms. While Bush engaged with Trump in a contest of snarky Instagram videos last week, he also tried to short-circuit Trump’s appeal by joining in bemoaning the failures of those in power. Referring to a Colorado veterans hospital project that has ballooned in cost, Bush said, “no one accepts responsibility,” his voice rising as he jabbed a finger into the air punctuating his words. “Fix the damn thing. That’s what people want.” While some supporters are sold on Bush’s grittier approach, others are eager to see how it plays out in the months ahead. “There’s no worry, yet,” said Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. “It might be a little different if we get too late into the fall and things haven’t changed.” Bush voiced confidence they will. “Maybe we’re in the first quarter,” Bush said, making a football reference. “There’s a long haul to go.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Phil Williams: Finding a new way to budget is key for Alabama’s future
The Dickens’ classic Oliver Twist transcends time and was a catalyst for social change in its day. As we enter the second special session of the Alabama Legislature to focus on the anemic and malnourished General Fund budget, I am reminded of a specific, iconic scene from Dickens’ novel. Young Oliver underfed and with circles under his eyes, finished his small bowl of gruel and decided he must ask the unthinkable. With deep contrition, he approached the overseer of the workhouse and held up his empty bowl and asked, “Please sir, may I have some more?” It is a poignant scene and unfortunately reminds me of the negotiating process between Alabama’s equally important, but unequally treated budgets. This year the Legislature passed one of the strongest education budgets in years. Reflecting an increase in overall spending at nearly $6 billion, the Education Trust Fund is set to experience a nearly $400 million surplus by the end of fiscal year 2016. Let that sink in for a minute. In the midst of constant calls for new taxes, we actually have a projected surplus well in excess of what is needed to fund both budgets. Alabamians have sent far more to Montgomery than is needed. The problem is not a lack of revenue but rather the unequal distribution of existing revenues. Every year the scene is repeated in Dickensian style as the General Fund looks to the Education Trust Fund and asks, “Please sir, may I have some more?” And the overseers decide if a bit more gruel will keep the little waif mollified. Make no mistake: I am proud of the education budget and I do not plan to reduce it. I was the deciding vote on the 2015 budget and a willing “yes” vote on the 2016 budget. I am a product of public education and have a family filled with public education employees. But I am asking for my fellow legislators to have the broader, statesmanlike view of the state as a whole. If we provide our citizens with a solid education but leave them with a state that does not properly fund medical needs, mental health, National Guard soldiers, prisons, the court system, State Troopers, senior meals, child advocacy, and all of the other crucial components of the General Fund, then they will take that state-funded education and go somewhere else. We can build the best state in the nation. We can have a state in which quality of education and quality of life coexist without one having to beg from the other. And believe it or not, we can do so without raising taxes. Unbeknownst to many Alabamians, a very simple bill has been introduced twice this year and promptly shelved by the gatekeepers who refuse to allow any crossover between the budgets. The bill authored by my conservative colleague Senator Paul Sanford simply allows for a perpetual split of recurring revenues: 78% to the Education Trust Fund, and 22% to the General Fund. This would increase the General Funds revenue base by an estimated $156 million and maintain a strong reserve for education. It is the right thing to do. It is systemic change and does not require new taxes. It is the change that I am prepared to fight for. The tax-raising bullies have been loud and boisterous lately. It is time for the citizens who have asked me over and over not to raise taxes to make themselves heard. It is time for the General Fund to be treated as an equal and not as a little beggar from a 19th century workhouse. Phil Williams represents Etowah, Cherokee, DeKalb and St. Clair Counties in the Alabama Senate. You may reach Senator Williams by phone at (334) 242-7857 or by e-mail at phil@williamsstatesenate.com.
Email insights: Alabama Secretary of State updates website
The Alabama Secretary of State’s office announced Tuesday in an effort to demonstrate transparency they have updated their official website to provide up-to-date information on matters handled by Secretary John Merrill’s office. Updates include: Fees and Funds Information, Voter List Fee Schedule, as well as, information for various boards, commissions and committees which come under the authority of the Secretary of State. “Prior to coming into the Office of the Secretary of State, I prepared a strategy to help me effectively understand the role upon which we were embarking on,” said Secretary Merrill. “Part of this strategy was to provide transparency to the citizens we serve on various aspects of the Office. We have added several new features to our website that we believe will benefit their interaction with the Office.” There are numerous fees collected by the Alabama Secretary of State. A large majority of these fees are discussed in The Code of Alabama and the Alabama Administrative Code. The fees information is divided into categories that provide the reader with the type of fee, actual amount and fee authority. The information contained in the funds document provides general information about the funds. Furthermore, Alabama’s Secretary of State is statutorily required to serve on, appoint or designate members to numerous boards, commissions or committees. A large majority of these entities are discussed specifically in The Code of Alabama or the Constitution of Alabama 1901. Each of the entity titles listed are related to the Alabama Boards website, which should provide additional details about each listed group. Along with the boards, commissions and committees informational booklet, minutes from the Alabama Athlete Agents Commission, Alabama Electronic Overseas Voting Advisory Committee, Alabama Electronic Voting Committee, Help America Vote Act Committee and Voter Registration Advisory Board are now listed on the website. Minutes for the Alabama Local Constitutional Amendment Commission are soon to be added to the website. You may access the above mentioned at www.sos.alabama.gov.
Ahead of Special Session, auditor Jim Zeigler warns unfair budget cuts are on the table
State Auditor Jim Zeigler issued an announcement this morning in which he said the looming combination of budget cuts and tax increases the Gov. Robert Bentley and the Legislature will mull unfairly burden “the little guys.” Zeigler put out a list of possible reductions in the governor’s budget proposal, which Bentley says may be necessary should the executive and legislative branches again fail to reach a deal to backfill a $250 million shortfall currently projected in next year’s budget. Included are cuts to state parks, most drivers license officers, Medicaid for indigent Alabamians, the elimination of some 99 state troopers, and reductions in state hunting and fishing services. Zeigler took umbrage that highly visible public services max face the ax while administrative costs incurred by the governor himself and his staff are not on the chopping block. “It is obvious that the Bentley advisers are targeting cuts on the little guy but none on higher-up politicos. And none on the Governor’s office itself,” Zeigler said Tuesday. “This is an obvious strategy to get citizens concerned about the cuts to pressure the legislature to pass the Bentley tax package.” “My prediction is it will not work. Just ask voters in Baldwin, Lawrence, Colbert and Jackson Counties and in the City of Athens. They all voted down tax increases by wide margins in the past six months,” said Zeigler noting the recent local resurgence of anti-tax sentiment that had abated somewhat amid the economic recovery. Zeigler noted the absence of proposed cuts to items like the following: “The Governor’s fleet of airplanes and helicopters and their frequent use? The Governor’s entourage he carries around with him and their large costs, including over-time? The number of state vehicles issued to officials who do not need them for after-hours duty? The high-priced SUVs and other luxury vehicles? The ultra-high salaries of some officials?” read Zeigler’s extended rhetorical question. “No. No cuts threatened to the Governor’s staff and to politicos.” “The Bentley advisers are not listening to the citizens; they only listen to Montgomery insiders,” Zeigler continued. The Special Session begins this evening at 5 p.m. at the state Capitol Building in Montgomery.
