Alabama House votes 67-31 to end special elections
Alabama is poised to an to end special elections when vacancies occur in the state’s two U.S. Senate seats, should a bill that has now cleared the state House garner enough votes in the state Senate. HB17, which was approved by voice vote in the House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee the first week of session, found itself on the House floor Tuesday. There, it passed 67-31, along party lines. Sponsored Ozark-Republican State Rep. Steve Clouse, the bill is intended to save taxpayers the cost of another special election should a vacancy occur in the U.S. Senate. If passed by the Legislature, the bill would allow the governor to appoint an temporary replacement to a vacant Senate seat, followed by an election that would coincide with the next general election occurring more than one year after the vacancy occurs. The state holds general elections every two years. While many speculate HB17 was introduced simply because a Democrat, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones bested Republican candidate Roy Moore in December’s special election. Clouse says otherwise. He introduced the bill in the wake of 2017’s controversial scheduling of a special election after former Sen. Jeff Sessions vacated the seat to become U.S. attorney general. According to Clouse, the special election cost the state $11 million. While it’s a certainly a deviation from Alabama’s current procedures, the method isn’t all that uncommon. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 36 other states use gubernatorial appointments should a vacancy occur. They say the Yellowhammer State is one of only 14 states to rely on a special election to fill a vacancy. HB17 now moves to the state Senate for further consideration.
Bill Hightower qualifies for Alabama governor race
State Sen. Bill Hightower qualified with the Republican Party of Alabama to appear as a candidate for Governor on the primary ballot June 5. Regarded as one of the most conservative senators in Alabama, Hightower has continually backed legislation for smaller government, lower taxes and to change Alabama to the flat tax. He currently runs several small businesses, which he believes makes him distinctively qualified to advance job-growing policies for families in Alabama. “I want our businesses and families to flourish,” said Hightower. He continued, “I am excited about this next step in our journey. We have focused our campaign on my strong conservative record of reform, our conservative vision for Alabama’s future, and our commitment to the people of Alabama that tomorrow will be better than today. We can do better. The outpouring of support we have received from all corners of the state has been humbling. I am confident that with the support of my family and the thousands of Alabamians who are rallying behind our message we will bring the change necessary to turn Montgomery around.” Hightower believes Montgomery is defective and needs change to bring hope to communities all across Alabama. He has also promised a balanced budget, and to make sure faith is protected statewide if he is elected governor. He graduated from the University of South Alabama, received an M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University, and has worked with with several Fortune 100 corporations including Emerson Electric, AlliedSignal, Eaton Hightower is married to Susan Binegar Hightower. They have three children, and three grandchildren.
State Senate passes largest tax cut for Alabamians since 2006
The Alabama Senate approved an income tax cut on Thursday that will save families an average of $21 each year. Senators voted 28-0 for the bill to allow more taxpayers to take the maximum standard deduction. The bill is part of the Alabama Senate Republican Caucus “Fighting for Alabama” agenda, which was unveiled at a press conference earlier this month. “This is not a tax break for the rich,” said Anniston-Republican and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh at the press conference. “It’s a tax break for working class Alabamians.” According to the Associated Press, SB76 “would increase the adjusted gross income level where jointly filing married taxpayers qualify for the full $7,500 standard deduction from $20,000 to $23,000. The deduction would be lowered as incomes rise. There would be similar changes for single people.” If signed into law, would be the largest tax cut for Alabamians since 2006. “It is a testament to the Republican Legislature that through smart, conservative management we have been able to guide the state through tough financial times and are now in a place where we can bring tax cuts to the hard-working people of Alabama” said Marsh. “Before the 2017 session started, I began looking at responsible ways to give people a tax cut and I am pleased that we found a way to provide this much deserved break for the people. I will fight for this reasonable tax cut until it is passed by both chambers and is signed by the Governor.” The bill now moves to the state House of Representatives for consideration.
Oprah visits grave of Alabama civil rights icon Recy Taylor
On Tuesday, Oprah Winfrey visited the grave of Recy Taylor, an African-American Alabama woman whose story Winfrey highlighted in her recent Golden Globes speech. Taylor was a 24 year old sharecropper in Abbeville, Ala. when she was kidnapped and raped by six men as she walked home from church. The case never went to trial, and two all-white, all-male juries refused to indict the men who confessed to assaulting her. The NAACP heard of the atrocious acts and assigned a young Rosa Parks to interview Taylor in Abbeville. Parks eventually helped move Taylor to Montgomery in an effort to avoid revenge from her attackers. Taylor died in December, just before her 98th birthday, and just three weeks after the release of “The Rape of Recy Taylor,” a documentary about the crime committed against her and systematic injustice. Winfrey posted the following caption on an Instagram post documenting the event: I don’t believe in coincidences, but if I did this would be a powerful one. On assignment for @60minutes I end up in the town of Abbeville where #RecyTaylor suffered injustice , endured and recently died. (GGspeech) To be able to visit her grave so soon after ‘speaking her name ‘sharing her story, a woman I never knew. Feels like🙏🏾☁️❤️ A post shared by Oprah (@oprah) on Jan 23, 2018 at 4:57pm PST “I don’t believe in coincidences, but if I did this would be a powerful one. On assignment for 60 Minutes I end up in the town of Abbeville where RecyTaylor suffered injustice, endured and recently died. To be able to visit her grave so soon after ‘speaking her name ‘sharing her story, a woman I never knew.”
BCBS of Alabama launching new opioid management strategy
In an effort to combat the growing opioid abuse epidemic in Alabama and as a measure of concern for their customers’ care and safety Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is launching a new opioid management strategy. In 2015, 5.8 million prescriptions for opioid medications were given to Alabamians, making it the highest prescribing state in the nation for prescription opioid drugs. According to Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s Health of America report on the opioid epidemic: 26 percent of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s commercially insured members filled at least one opioid prescription in 2015, compared to 21 percent nationally 6.5 percent of our members were on a long-duration opioid regimen in 2015, compared to 3.8 percent nationally 16.4 per 1,000 members were diagnosed with opioid use disorder in Alabama in 2016, double that of 8.3 nationally 29 percent of our members with opioid use disorder received medication-assisted therapy in 2016, compared to 37 percent nationally In recent years, Alabama has seen many deaths due to prescription drug overdoses. The use of opioid pain relievers lead to 723 drug-related deaths in 2014, and 5,128 deaths from 2006 through 2014. Therefore, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama feels that it is necessary to implement the following requirements: Extended-release opioids will require a prior authorization for all initial fills of long-acting opioid medications. Members currently receiving these drugs will not be impacted. Immediate-release opioids will not require prior authorization but will have quantity limits. The first prescription fill will be limited to a seven-day initial supply. After an initial seven day supply is filled, additional prescriptions may be obtained without pre-authorization. Members currently receiving these drugs will not be impacted. Naloxone, the antidote for an opioid overdose, will be available to Blue Cross members for a generic copay. These include the forms of prefilled syringes and nasal spray. Evzio, the branded auto-injector, will no longer be covered due to egregious pricing. The conditions will go into effect Feb. 1, 2018.
The top 10 safest cities in Alabama
Every state has its fair share of crime, but when it comes to pinpointing the safest city in the Yellowhammer State — Helena, Ala. takes the top spot. That’s according to a new report by the National Council for Home Safety and Security (NCHSS) of the Safest Cities in Alabama for 2018. The small Birmingham suburb finds itself in good company of nearby neighbors as Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Alabaster, following in the no. 2, 3 and 4 spots respectively The top ten safest cities in Alabama are: 1. Helena Vestavia Hills Mountain Brook Alabaster Daphne Moody Auburn Pleasant Grove Pelham Hartselle To identify the safest cities, NCHSS reviewed the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics along with their own population data and internal research. They eliminated any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI and removed cities with populations under 10,000. Then, the cities were ranked based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery) and property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) per 1,000 people. These variables were then weighted, with violent crimes assigned a value 1.5 times (due to their severity) that of property crimes.
Tax season begins next week, here are some helpful tips
Tax season just days away and both taxpayers and tax advisors are still getting acclimated with all the details of the historic tax reform legislation passed in December. This year, tax filing season spans from Jan. 29 until April 17. The Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) has released a few tips and suggestions to help taxpayers file their returns safely and get their refunds as quickly as possible: FILE EARLY! As soon as a taxpayers receive their W-2s, 1099s and other documents, they should file as soon as possible. Filing early can help us get your refund approved earlier, plus it enables you to beat ID thieves to the punch. EMPLOYERS – FILE THOSE W-2S! Employers must file employee W-2 information with ADOR by Jan. 31. Employers who file late may face penalties and will slow the processing of their employees’ tax returns. SAFETY FIRST! ADOR plays an important role in preventing state revenue and your money from ending up in the wrong hands. Fraud detection reviews, accuracy checks, and matching against employer W2s does require a little extra time, but it helps ensure that you get your money rather than fraudsters. WHERE’S YOUR REFUND? The Alabama Department of Revenue will begin releasing 2017 income tax refunds on March 1, 2018. This will give us time to properly vet and process the returns of early filers, confirm the accuracy of legitimate returns, and filter out fraudulent returns. The best way to track the progress of your refund is our website My Alabama Taxes (www.myalabamataxes.alabama.gov). It’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you don’t have internet access, you can track your refund progress by calling our automated refund system toll‐free at 1-855-894-7391 or our call center at 1-800-535-9410. TAKE A SELFIE TO GET YOUR REFUND SOONER! Want to speed up your refund AND protect your identity? Then download the Alabama eID mobile app and follow the guided process in the app to enroll. Your photo and driver’s license data will be authenticated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to verify your identity. With the eID verified, you can go to My Alabama Taxes (www.myalabamataxes.alabama.gov) to register your eID and enroll in the “Opt-In” program. This program will notify you when a return is filed with the department using your information by sending a notification through your eID app. The app will allow you to securely verify that you did file the return, or decline the transaction because you did not file the return. BONUS – your eID-verified return will be processed more quickly! The eID app is free and available in both the App Store and Google Play. FILE FOR FREE! You can file state returns for free using My Alabama Taxes. Filing returns will require you to sign up for a MAT username to access your income tax account, file your return and make payments. Sign up for MAT at www.myalabamataxes.alabama.gov. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE? The date your return is filed and how your return is filed largely determines when the refund can be issued. For example, electronically filed returns are received and processed significantly faster than returns that are mailed to ADOR. Also, if an error-free return is mailed in January or February, the taxpayer can expect to receive their refund sooner than if the return is filed in March or April. Last year, 20 percent of the income tax returns filed were received between April 1 and April 18. Returns filed this close to the deadline may require as many as 90 days to process. First‐time filers: It will take additional time for new filers to be validated and entered into our system. Until that time, our Refund Status website won’t recognize these taxpayers and will report their returns as “not entered in system.” It will take approximately 8-12 weeks to process a first time filer’s return. E‐filers: Generally, e‐filers can expect their refund about 8‐10 weeks after the date they receive their filing acknowledgement from the state. Paper filers: The return will take about 10‐12 weeks to process. ADOR must manually enter information from paper returns into our database. If the taxpayer received a letter from us asking for more information or to verify identity, the refund will be delayed until ADOR gets the requested information and they’ve been able to review it. KEEP IN TOUCH! After your return is filed, ADOR may send you letters asking for more information. If you do receive a letter from us, you should respond quickly so ADOR can review your information and get your refund to you as soon as possible. Fraud Detection. To detect and combat tax identity theft, ADOR uses a variety of methods to validate your identity and tax return. To help protect your information and keep your dollars from going to criminals, ADOR may send: An Identity Confirmation letter that asks you to take a short online quiz or provide copies of documents to verify your identity (http://revenue.alabama.gov/idquiz/) A return verification letter that asks you to verify online whether you or your representative filed the tax return ADOR received Accuracy Checks. ADOR stops and reviews about 3 to 5 percent of individual income tax returns each year to resolve mathematical errors or request missing information. ADOR wants to be sure that your tax return correctly reflects your information and intent. To do this, ADOR may send: A Request for Information letter that asks for missing or additional information to support data reported on your tax return A Tax Computation Change letter that provides an explanation of changes that were made to your tax return
Alabama kids no longer in danger of losing coverage after CHIP, All Kids funding restored
Due to a lapse in federal funding the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), known as ALL Kids in Alabama, recently found itself in jeopardy. The program, which acts as a safety net for roughly 150,000 children across the state became an important bargaining chip in the government shutdown when it came to negotiations over the federal budget and immigration. But the tide turned in CHIP’s favor early Monday afternoon, when members of the U.S. Senate agreed to pass a bill extending the federal budget for an additional three weeks — and CHIP’s budget for an additional six years. Across the state, Alabama officials applauded the extension of the program. “I am thankful that Congress has finally passed a continuing resolution to fund the Federal Government, including a six-year reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP),” said Gov. Kay Ivey. “I have continually supported CHIP funding because approximately 159,000 Alabama children depend on it for their health insurance. Caring for our children and meeting their healthcare needs is a bipartisan issue; I appreciate Alabama’s Congressional Delegation for playing a key role in ensuring continued funding for CHIP.” President of the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) and Lieutenant Governor candidate Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh said funding is “vital for Alabama.” “Great to hear that the #SchumerShutdown is about to end and the government will reopen. #CHIP funding is vital for Alabama, and a continuing resolution protects our military families and many hardworking federal employees and contractors (like those at @TeamRedstone),” Cavanaugh tweeted. More than 83,000 children in the state are covered by All Kids program. Meanwhile, another 75,000 are covered by an Alabama Medicaid component of CHIP. “Families across Alabama deserve to breathe a sigh of relief, but it never should have come to this. CHIP funding deserved a quick, straightforward renewal before it expired nearly four months ago. Delaying the renewal and tying it to other important issues was unnecessary and irresponsible,” said Jim Carnes, policy director for the Arise Citizens’ Policy Project. “CHIP, known as ALL Kids in Alabama, is a proven success story that played a big part in cutting our state’s uninsured rate for children from 20 percent to just 2.4 percent over the last two decades. Other states have seen similar improvements. Kathy Caldwell, Director of the Bureau of Children’s Health Insurance at the Alabama Department of Public Health confirmed those statistics. Since its inception in 1998, ALL Kids has helped reduce the number of uninsured children in Alabama from 20 percent to 2.4 percent. With such a success story, state legislators had worried how the state would fund the much-needed program should Congress fail to reauthorize the program since the legislative session began. Ozark-Republican and House Ways and Means Chairman Steve Clouse had gone on record saying that if the state has to pick up even a fraction of the cost of program, it will cast a “shadow” over the entire budget. Now, he tells the AP, the state can “breathe a collective sigh of relief here.” But ALL Kids future isn’t set in stone. While Congress has funded the program through 2023, the funding rates will decrease over time. For the first two years, federal money will pay for at least 88 percent of the program’s expenses in the state. In 2020, the federal share will decrease and the state will have to pick up some of the costs.
AG Steve Marshall warns of Spanish-language scam
Would-be criminals have added a new wrinkle in a long-running scam regarding payment of bills: a second language. The basic deception has remained constant for years – getting an unsuspecting customer to deliver payment to a utility through an untraceable money-pack card. The caller demands payment within a very short time frame, threatening to turn off the power. The call may even spoof the correct name and phone number on the caller ID. But now they are calling Hispanic-owned businesses, and making their threat in Spanish. A recent wave of those Spanish-language calls has prompted Alabama’s attorney general to issue a warning. “Scammers posing as bill collectors are unfortunately very common in Alabama,” said Attorney General Steve Marshall. “These scams take many forms, from claiming to be from the IRS, local law enforcement and even the Attorney General’s Office. In this latest case, the scammers say they are from Alabama Power.” Sometimes, the calls focus on residential customers. This most recent batch of complaints have come from small companies and restaurants, which can be manipulated into giving in for fear of losing business at the last minute. “The best way to handle these calls is to hang up and alert law enforcement,” Marshall said. These crooks typically work from overseas, and target certain area codes for a brief time before moving on. Alabama Power is one of many utilities across North America that have formed an organization to educate customers and lobby for help to prosecute. Utilities United Against Scams has a downloadable resource available to help, called the Consumer’s Guide to Impostor Utility Scams. “Alabama Power will never call you and say your service will be discontinued unless you make an immediate payment over the phone,” said Customer Service Center Manager Tim Bowen. “No employee will ever call and ask you for bank information or a credit card number. No Alabama Power employee will ever come to your door and demand an immediate payment.” Signs of potential scam activity include: Scammers may aggressively tell the customer the utility bill is past due and service will be disconnected if a payment is not made – usually within less than an hour. Scammers may instruct the customer to purchase a prepaid card – widely available at retail stores – then call back, supposedly to make a bill payment to the utility company. When the customer calls back, the caller asks the customer for the prepaid card’s number, which grants the scammer instant access to the card funds. Ways to avoid scams include: Customers should never purchase a prepaid card to avoid service disconnection or shutoff. Legitimate utility companies do not specify how customers should make a bill payment, and will always offer ways to pay a bill, including accepting payments online, by phone, automatic bank draft, mail or in person. If someone threatens immediate disconnection or shutoff of service, customers should hang up the phone, delete the email or shut their door. Customers with delinquent accounts receive advance disconnection notification, typically by mail and included with their regular monthly bill. Companies never send a single notification one hour or less before disconnection. If customers suspect someone is trying to scam them, they should call their utility company at the number on their monthly bill or the company’s website, not the phone number the scammer provides. If customers ever feel that they are in physical danger, they should call 911. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
