Alabama lawmakers advance two modest income tax cut bills
Alabama lawmakers advanced on Wednesday a modest income tax cut, one of several tax break proposals as legislators weigh how to use a record budget surplus. The House Ways and Means Education Committee approved the two bills that collectively provide $82 million in income tax cuts by adjusting the lowest and highest tax brackets. The bills now move to the full House of Representatives. One bill would eliminate the current 2% tax that people pay on the first $500 of taxable income for single people and $1,000 for married couples who file their taxes together. The other bill would gradually reduce the 5% state income tax rate — paid on taxable income over $3,000 for single people and $6,000 for taxpayers who are married and file their taxes together — to 4.95% in 2027. “These are modest tax cuts that will not jeopardize the budget, but they are steps,” Committee Chair Danny Garrett, who sponsored the legislation, said. “We’re building this. We’ve done these over the last three or four years. So, when you add up the cumulative effect of those, it’s pretty substantial.” With a record budget surplus, lawmakers are eyeing possible tax cuts this year, including possibly removing the 4% sales tax on food. Alabama is one of the few states that fully tax groceries. Lawmakers have discussed removing the sales tax on food for years but have been hindered by the cost to the state education budget. Removing the tax on groceries would cost the education budget more than $600 million annually. “It will truly make a difference for our families,” Democratic Rep. Curtis Travis, of Tuscaloosa, said. Travis spoke during a press conference about tax cuts proposed by House Democrats, including removing the sales tax on groceries and eliminating the state income tax on overtime pay. Sen. Arthur Orr, who chairs the Senate Finance and Taxation Education budget-writing committee, has proposed to phase out the state sales tax on some foods, such as milk, eggs, vegetables, fruit, whole-grain bread, and baby formula. The bill would remove the state sales tax on food items that are covered by the federal Women, Infants and Children nutrition program for low-income women and young children. Garrett said using the program list would focus the tax break on “healthier type food items” while limiting the financial cost to the state education budget. He estimated that it would cost the state $200 million annually. “This is what the education budget could sustain at this point in time, particularly given the unknown future financially for the country and for the state,” Orr said. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
372 bills have been filed in Alabama legislative session
Only four legislative days have passed in the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session, but already 372 bills have been filed by legislators. Alabama Today has worked on writing about as many of these as possible so that our readers stay informed on issues before the Alabama Legislature. Two hundred bills were filed in the last week alone. Below is a short recap of 15 of these. Senate Bill 143 (SB143) by State Senator Will Barfoot targets youth gangs. The legislation seeks to identify members of criminal gangs. SB143 would enhance penalties for any criminal activity that benefits, promotes, or furthers the interest of a gang. The bill would establish mandatory consecutive penalties for any individual who knowingly possesses, uses, or carries a firearm during the commission of any act intended to benefit, promote, or further the interest of a gang. This bill would require any juvenile 16 or older to be tried as an adult for any gang-related criminal activity. State Representative Allen Treadaway has introduced similar legislation in the House – HB191. House Bill 217 (HB217) is sponsored by State Rep. Anthony Daniels. It would exempt overtime from state income taxes and a substantial tax cut for many hardworking hourly workers. Under existing law, gross income is defined for state income tax. Also, the existing law exempts certain amounts from the calculation of gross income. This bill would exclude work performed in excess of 40 hours in any week from being included in the gross income calculation. Daniels, the House Minority Leader, has some powerful cosponsors on this legislation, which has just dropped, including Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter and education fund budget Chairman Danny Garrett. Sen. Sam Givhan has introduced similar legislation in the Senate – SB137. House Bill 115 (HB115) by Rep. Danny Garrett would lower the top state income tax rate. Under existing law, Alabama levies an individual income tax at rates ranging from two percent on taxable income to a top rate of five percent on taxable income. This bill would phase in a reduction in the top tax rate from five percent to four and ninety-five hundredths percent. House Bill 181 (HB181) by Rep. Mack Butler would prohibit financial institutions from disclosing certain customer financial records of firearms transactions. HB181 would allow the Department of Finance to disqualify a financial institution from any selection process for state contracts for violation of this prohibition and to provide civil penalties and criminal penalties for violation of the act. Butler told Alabama Today that he did not believe that credit card companies need to be tracking customers’ gun and ammunition purchases. “That’s too much information for the credit card companies or the government to have,” said Butler. “The Sons of liberty would have had a big problem with that.” Senate Bill 144 (SB144) by Barfoot would address the shortage of judges by creating three additional circuit judgeships and two additional district judgeships to be funded out of the State General Fund in Fiscal Year 2024. House Bill 209 (HB209) by Rep. Jamie Kiel would effectively outlaw ballot harvesting in Alabama. This bill would prohibit any person from distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, completing, obtaining, or delivering an absentee ballot application or absentee ballot of another person in certain circumstances and would provide for exceptions. This bill would prohibit any person from receiving a payment or providing payment to another person for distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, completing, obtaining, or delivering an absentee ballot application or absentee ballot of another person in certain circumstances. This bill would also establish criminal penalties for violations. HB209 already has 42 House cosponsors. Senate Bill 141 (SB141) by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison lowers the crime of chemical endangerment of a child to a misdemeanor under some circumstances. Under existing law, a person commits the crime of chemical endangerment of a child if the child is exposed to a controlled substance, chemical substance, or drug paraphernalia. A violation is a Class C felony. This bill would provide that chemical endangerment of a child where the child is exposed to marijuana or drug paraphernalia is a Class A misdemeanor. This bill would also provide that a confirmatory positive drug test must be obtained before an agency or law enforcement initiates any action for a violation. Senate Bill 127 (SB127), sponsored by Sen. Merika Coleman, would expand the statute of limitations on civil suits for alleged sexual misconduct, and it would be retroactive. Under existing law, a civil action for an injury to an individual that involves certain sex offenses must be brought within six years. This bill would expand the statute of limitations for certain sex offenses. Senate Bill 130 (SB130), sponsored by Sen. Vivian Figures, would move the official state celebration of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s birthday as a state holiday observed on the third Monday in January to the second Monday in October. Currently, the state celebrates Robert E. Lee’s birthday on the same day as Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. SB130 would move Robert E. Lee’s birthday to Columbus Day, so Robert E Lee Day would remain a state holiday but would not add a new state holiday. House Bill 187 (HB187), sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown, would require parental or guardian’s consent for a minor to get a vaccine. Under existing law, a minor 14 years of age or older may give consent for medical, dental, and mental health services for themselves without parental consent. HB187 would require consent of a parent or a legal guardian for any minor to receive a vaccination. This became an issue during the recent COVID-19 global pandemic. House Bill 186 (HB186), also by Brown, would allow a parent to opt their child out of any school policy requiring students to wear a face covering at school, at a school function, a school bus, or at a school bus stop. Many parents were upset that their schools required face masks during the pandemic. House Bill 182 (HB182), sponsored by Rep. Traci Estes, would expand the definition of a dependent to include an unborn child. Under current law, taxpayers are allowed a dependent exemption for a son or daughter for
Gov. Kay Ivey announces Alabama’s February unemployment rate ties record low of 2.5%
On Friday, Governor Kay Ivey announced that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted February unemployment rate has dropped to 2.5%, tying the record low – also set during Ivey’s tenure as governor. February’s rate of 2.5% is down from January 2023’s rate of 2.6% and below February 2022’s rate of 2.6%. Just 56,221 people in the state qualified under the official definition as being unemployed – i.e., they have no job and are actively looking for work. February’s 56,221 is a new record low. This is down from 58,392 unemployed in January 2023 and 58,943 a year ago in February of 2022. “Once again, we’ve hit a record low unemployment rate,” stated Ivey. “While it may seem like we break these records month after month, we know that even with record low unemployment, we still have a duty to provide good, quality jobs to every Alabamian who wants one. I’m proud of our economic successes and reaffirm my commitment to continue to work to make this state the best place to live, work and raise a family.” Wage and salary employment totaled 2,133,500 in February. This is an increase of 15,900 from January. Over the month gains were seen in the professional and business services sector (+3,800), the government sector (+3,500), the leisure and hospitality sector (+3,400), the private education and health services sector (+3,200), the manufacturing sector (+1,100), the construction sector (+700) and the information sector (+300), among others. Wage and salary employment increased by 43,900 people over the year. Annual gains were seen in the education and health services sector (+8,600), the manufacturing sector (+8,200), the government sector (+7,600), the professional and business services sector (+7,300), the leisure and hospitality sector (+4,900), the other services sector (+3,600), the construction sector (+3,400), the information sector (+900) and the financial activities sector (+800), with the other services sector setting a new all-time record high jobs count. “Job growth of nearly 44,000 over the year is definitely something to be proud of,” said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “We know that employers still have jobs that need to be filled, and we’re working to match those employers with those jobseekers. Our Career Center System has so many tools to help everyone succeed – I would definitely recommend visiting your local center if you need any assistance.” The counties with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby County at 1.7%, Morgan County and Madison County at 1.9%, and St. Clair County, Marshall County, Limestone County, Elmore County, Cullman County, and Blount County at 2.0%. The counties with the highest unemployment rates are Wilcox County at 8.0%, Greene County at 5.5%, and Dallas County at 5.1%. The major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are Homewood and Madison at 1.5%, Trussville and Vestavia Hills at 1.6%, and Alabaster, Hoover, and Northport at 1.7 %. The major cities with the highest unemployment rates are Selma at 6.5%, Prichard at 4.3%, and Bessemer at 3.8%. The labor participation rate for Alabamians 16 years and older continues to trouble policymakers. While unemployment is at a record low and businesses across the state struggle to find new workers, there was no improvement in labor force participation rate. It was unchanged at 56.7 percent. That is down from 57.1% in February 2022. Nationally the labor force participation rate ticked up to 62.5%. Alabama Today on Wednesday talked with State Rep. Danny Garrett about the state’s poor labor force participation rate and its impact on state revenues, and the state’s high poverty rate. “If we just got to the national average, it would be huge,” Garrett told Alabama Today. “It would be a sea change. The question is, how do we get there? Part of that is education. Part of that is getting people off of the programs that are keeping them out of the workforce. Part of that is focusing on areas of the state that are behind.” To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Danny Garrett addresses some of the misconceptions about state budgets
On Wednesday, Alabama State Rep. Danny Garrett addressed the issue of state taxes and revenue comparisons with other states in a presentation to the House Ways and Means Education Committee – which he chairs. “There is a lot of noise out there that we are a high-tax state,” Garrett said. “The data doesn’t show that.” “Alabama is 49th in per capita taxation,” Chairman Garrett said. “Tennessee is the lowest per capita, but Tennessee has the lottery. If you factor in the lottery, we are 50th.” “You hear people say we are a high tax state,” Garrett stated. “We are not.” Garrett explained that while states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee have no state income tax (unlike Alabama), they have higher state and local property taxes than Alabama. “We have the lowest per capita property tax in the country,” Garrett said. Garrett said that under the Alabama Constitution, money in both budgets, the education trust fund (ETF) and state general fund (SGF), cannot be used for roads and bridges. Fuel taxes go to the road and bridge fund, raising about $900 million annually. In 2019 the Legislature raised the gas tax for the first time in years. The average Alabamian who drives 15,000 miles a year pays about $215 a year in fuel taxes. $75 of that is from the increase. Garrett explained that total state expenditures counting everything, are about $31.78 billion. Garrett said that income tax comparisons on rates are misleading. “We are the only state that allows you to deduct your federal income tax,” Garrett said. Garrett used the example of Missouri, which has a personal income tax rate of 4.75%, while Alabama has a higher rate of 5%. A person making $100,000 in Missouri would pay $4,750 in state income taxes. Even though Alabama has a 5 percent income tax rate, the taxes paid to the state would typically not be $5,000. After deducting what that person would owe in federal income taxes, the Alabama taxes due would be only $4,108 (less than 4.11%, not 5%). “The state has one of the lowest state sales tax rates at 4%,” Garret said. “The locals have high (sales) tax rates because we limit by law their ability to raise ad valorem rates.” Garrett explained that Alabama has one of the lowest tax rates on cigarettes but one of the very highest excise taxes on hard alcohol. “We are on the high end for tax on spirits and on the low end for cigarette taxes,” Garrett said. Garrett said that over the summer, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) compared Alabama’s tax structure with the tax structure of our neighboring states. Using Mississippi’s tax structure, Alabama would have an additional $1.1 billion yearly in state tax revenues. Using Florida’s (even with their not having a state income tax), that state would raise another $1.5 billion in state revenue. Garrett said the state’s high poverty rate impacts state revenues and budgets. Garrett objected to a recent report by the Tax Foundation, which claimed that Alabama is number #41 in the business climate. “If you look at the report, Wyoming is number one,” Garrett said. “They are followed by North Dakota, and next is Alaska. They chose states where nobody lives as having the best climate for doing business.” “To say that we are not a business-friendly state is just not true,” Garrett said. One issue that the Tax Foundation pointed out is the state’s 6.5% corporate tax rate. “To lower the corporate tax rate of 6.5%, you have to go to constitutional amendment,” Garrett explained. “If you look at the incentive package, we are number 1 or number 2,” Garrett added. “The state’s Commerce Department works hard to overcome that (the high corporate tax rate). Some say we don’t need those incentives, but that is not how the world works.” Garrett said that there have been calls by some to eliminate the income tax but pointed out that those states have much higher property taxes than Alabama. “In today’s environment, a lot of people are trying to move away from income taxes,” Garrett said. “We are income tax dependent. Income tax is 65% of the education budget.” “Every state that has a high property tax rate has been enjoying a windfall recently because property values have gone up, so when they come in and reassess, more revenue comes in,” Garrett said. “We are already one of the lowest tax states in the country,” Poverty is one factor responsible for Alabama’s low per capita tax collections. “We are a state with one of the higher poverty rate states in the country,” Garrett said. State Rep. Debbie Wood said, “A lot of time, people are pointing their fingers at us, but local governments can raise taxes too. When we look at gambling, we need to look at all options with an open mind,” Wood said. One contributor to that poverty is the state’s low labor force participation rate. While the state has record low unemployment of about 2.7%, the labor force participation rate is just 56.7%. The U.S. Labor Force Participation Rate is 62.4%. Currently, 43.3% of Alabamians 16 and up are not working. Many of these are able-bodied and capable of working but have not worked in years and aren’t looking for work, so they don’t count as unemployed. “If we just got to the national average, it would be huge,” Garrett told Alabama Today. “It would be a sea change. The question is, how do we get there? Part of that is education. Part of that is getting people off of the programs that are keeping them out of the workforce. Part of that is focusing on areas of the state that are behind.” The Ways and Means Education Committee is tasked with preparing the education trust fund budget. Thursday will be day four of the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: Legislature organizes for Quadrennium
The legislature had their every four-year organizational session earlier this month. It is exactly what the title states. They are organizing for the next quadrennium of lawmaking. They officially chose their leadership and adopted the rules for the two chambers. The 105-member House of Representatives and 35-member State Senate are elected for four-year terms, the same as the governor and other constitutional offices. However, unlike the governor, who was sworn in on Monday, January 16, as set out in the state constitution, the legislature takes office the day after they are elected in November. The state House of Representatives will have 77 Republicans and 28 Democrats. That is a veto-proof, bulldozer-shoving, anything-you-want supermajority. The Democrats have very little say with those overwhelming numbers. Two days after they were elected in November, the 77-member Republican majority met in a private caucus meeting in Montgomery and selected their leadership. Therefore, the vote for Speaker of the House two weeks ago was simply a formality. The House has chosen Representative Nathaniel Ledbetter to be the Speaker of the House. Speaker Ledbetter hails from Rainsville in DeKalb County. He is a former Mayor of Rainsville. He has only been in the House of Representatives for eight years, having been first elected in 2014. He was chosen to be the majority leader in the House in his freshman year. He was close to the former Speaker Mac McCutcheon, and he served on both the powerful agenda-setting Rules Committee, as well as the Ways and Means Education Budget Writing Committee. Representative Chris Pringle of Mobile has been chosen to be Speaker Pro Tem of the House, which is the second highest position within the body. He has served previously for 16 years in the House from the Port City. He succeeds fellow Mobilian Victor Gaston in this post. There are two young stalwarts who will be serving in Republican Party positions within the House. Representative Scott Stadthagen of Decatur will be the new House Majority Leader. Representative Wes Kitchens of Arab will serve as the Republican Leadership Caucus Vice Chair. Representative Debbie Wood from the Valley will serve as the Republican Caucus Secretary/Treasurer. The three most powerful posts in the House are the chairmanships of the two money committees and the agenda-setting Rules Committee. Representative Danny Garrett of Trussville in Jefferson County will continue to Chair the Ways and Means Education Budget Committee. Representative Rex Reynolds of Huntsville will be the General Fund Ways and Means Chairman. Reynolds replaces longtime Ways and Means Chairman Steve Clouse of Ozark. Representative Joe Lovvorn of Auburn will be the new Rules Committee Chairman. Representative Jim Hill of St. Clair will chair Judiciary. He is a former circuit Judge and a veteran of the House. All of these House leadership positions are held by Republicans. To the victor goes the spoils. The Democrats have a veteran and sterling team heading their Caucus Leadership in the House. Anthony Daniels of Huntsville will be the Democratic Minority Leader. Barbara Drummond of Mobile will be the Caucus Chair. Mary Moore of Birmingham will be the Vice Chair, and Kelvin Lawrence of Hayneville will be Secretary/Treasurer of the Democratic Caucus. The 35-member Alabama State Senate returns almost intact with their continuity and quality leadership. They will dominate and provide a stable State of Ship to help lead the state. Republicans control this upper chamber to the same degree that the GOP members do in the House. Republicans outnumber Democrats 28 to 7 in the Senate. State Senator Jabo Waggoner of Jefferson County begins his 50th year in the legislature. This is a state record. He is definitely destined for the state history books. Jabo will continue to Chair the powerful Rules Committee. Greg Reed of Walker County will be Pro Tem of the Senate again. The Majority Leader will again be Clay Scofield of Marshall County. The two money committee chairmen will continue to be in charge of how the state revenues are spent. Senator Arthur Orr of Decatur will chair Finance and Taxation/Education. Senator Greg Albritton of Escambia will chair Finance and Taxation/General Fund. These two men will be very powerful. Popular state Senator Will Barfoot of Pike Road will chair Judiciary in the Senate. Senator Clyde Chambliss of Prattville has become a stalwart leader in the Senate. He will be Majority Whip. Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth presides over the Senate. The Regular Session begins in early March. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Kay Ivey meets with legislative budget chairs
Gov. Kay Ivey met with legislative leaders on Wednesday to discuss the 2024 budgets and potential 2023 supplemental appropriations. “Today, we had our first meeting of the new term with our legislative budget chairs,” said Gov. Ivey. “How we budget will affect Alabamians for decades to come, and this group of leaders is committed to ensuring we will continue taking a fiscally conservative approach to our budgets.” Republicans have commanding control of Alabama state government, so all of the legislative leaders at Wednesday’s meeting were members of the GOP. They include new Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, new Chairman of the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee Rex Reynolds, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Education Committee Danny Garrett, Ivey’s Director of Legislative Affairs Drew Harrell, State Finance Director Bill Poole, State Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee Chairman Greg Albritton, State Finance and Taxation Education Committee Chairman Arthur Orr, and Senate Pro Tem. Greg Reed. Legislative Service Agency Fiscal Division Director Kirk Fulford, the Pro Tem.’s chief of staff Derek Trotter, and other staff members were also present. “Yesterday the Leadership of the House and Senate, and the Budget Chairman’s met with Governor Ivey, Director Poole and staff,” Reynolds said on social media. “The Governor engaged the meeting with direct questions related to our economy, our workforce, and the services the state provides to Alabamians.” The big-budget question hanging over the coming legislative session is what to do with the budget surplus. The state had over a billion dollar surplus left over from fiscal year 2022, which ended on September 30 that rolled into fiscal year 2022. Alabama has an arcane budgeting system where education goes into one budget – the education trust fund budget (ETF) for education spending and the state general fund (SGF) for non-education-related expenditures. Last year, the ETF for FY2023 passed by the Legislature was $8.26 billion – $589 million more than FY2022. The SGF for FY2023 passed was $2.74 billion – $53 million more than FY2022. Both are all-time records. The state’s reserve funds are already flush with funds from four straight years of conservative budgeting. With wages rising and the number of workers employed at an all-time high, the state is likely to take in more than the $11 billion the Legislature expected in FY2023 – the current budget year. The Legislature has some hard choices to make when the 2023 regular legislative session begins on March 7. They likely will have significant surplus funds left over for supplemental appropriations in FY2023 – they had over a billion dollars in supplementals in FY2022. Leaders could increase state spending, rebate surplus dollars to the taxpayers in one-time checks, or lower taxes in FY2024. Orr said that the Legislature may rebate up to $500 million back to taxpayers later this year. Another major issue facing the budget committees is what to do with all the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money that the state is getting from the federal government – albeit with many federal strings attached. The second $one billion of that money has to be appropriated. The Governor will formally make her FY2024 budget requests on Tuesday, March 7, when she makes her state of the state address to a joint session of the Alabama Legislature at the historic 1859 Alabama Capitol Building. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
House leadership comments on massive unemployment tax cuts
Alabama House Republican Caucus Speaker Nominee Nathaniel Ledbetter and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Danny Garrett said on Friday that a dramatic cut in unemployment insurance taxes announced by the Alabama Department of Labor this week will help keep the state’s historic economy and job market growing even more in the coming months. “Based on the Department of Labor’s announcement, the financial burden that surging unemployment forced upon employers and businesses during the pandemic has come to an end,” Ledbetter said. “And thanks to the legislature’s strategic planning and wise fiscal policies during the pandemic, Alabama has remained open for business, and our economy is currently the strongest in history.” The Labor Department announced Thursday that Alabama employers would experience a 54 percent tax cut on their unemployment insurance taxes during 2023. This tax cut has dropped Alabama into the lowest tax rate schedule, moving the state’s tax rate from Schedule D to Schedule A. After massive layoffs caused by the pandemic depleted the state’s unemployment fund, the state legislature appropriated federal COVID relief funds to replenish the coffers of the depleted trust fund. The issuance of Revive Alabama Grants by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and actions taken by the Small Business Commission to re-open Alabama businesses faster allowed repayments to the unemployment fund much sooner than in states that stayed shut down longer during the forced economic shutdowns. “The remarkable achievement of moving from the highest to the lowest tax rate category is a direct result of the collaborative efforts over the past several years by Gov. Ivey, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, the Small Business Commission, and both bodies of the legislature,” Garrett said. “These tax cuts will benefit businesses of all sizes and ensure that Alabama’s economy, which is already among the best in the nation, remains strong for the immediate future.” “Following the economic uncertainty and the record-breaking amount of unemployment compensation benefits paid out during the pandemic, it is absolutely remarkable that we have been able to lower taxes for employers and drop to the lowest tax rate schedule in this short amount of time,” said Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. Ledbetter was selected by the House Republican Caucus to replace the retired Rep. Mac McCutcheon as Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives. Since Republicans have a 77 to 28 supermajority, the Republican choice for Speaker is highly likely to be elected Speaker when the Legislature meets for its organizational session next week. Ledbetter has announced that if he is the Speaker, he will reappoint Garrett as the Chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Education Committee. Ledbetter has also announced that State Rep. Rex Reynolds will chair the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee. Reynolds replaces State Rep. Steve Clouse, who challenged Ledbetter for the Speaker’s chair. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Nathaniel Ledbetter announces planned committee chair appointments
Rainsville Republican Nathaniel Ledbetter is expected to be elected as the next Speaker of the House in the Republican-dominated Alabama House of Representatives. On Wednesday, Ledbetter announced his first picks for Committee chairs. The Alabama House Republican Caucus has already chosen Ledbetter as their Speaker-designate but can’t formally elect a Speaker until the full House gavels in for an organizational session in January. Since Republicans occupy 77 of the 105 seats in the Alabama House of Representatives, it is a foregone conclusion that the party’s pick will be the next Speaker. Under the rules of the Alabama House of Representatives, the Speaker picks the committee chairs – normally from his or her own party. “I am confident that each of these members will serve our state well and invite new ideas and fresh perspectives to the committees they chair,” Ledbetter said in a statement. “All of them possess unique skills, talents, experiences, and abilities that make them uniquely qualified to chair the committees they will be assigned to lead.” The powerful House Rules Committee sets the proposed special order calendar for legislation that the body is to consider. Chairman Mike Jones did not return to the legislature. Ledbetter has chosen Rep. Joe Lovvorn to chair the Rules Committee. He is a retired firefighter and currently works as a realtor and small business owner. Lovvorn previously served as chair of the House Technology and Research Committee, which means that Ledbetter will be appointing a new chair for that committee as well. State Rep. Rex Reynolds will be the new Chairman of the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee. Former Chairman Steve Clouse has returned to the House, but he challenged Ledbetter for the open Speaker position when outgoing Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon announced his retirement. Reynolds is retired law enforcement. He is the former Police Chief of Huntsville. State Rep. Danny Garrett will be returning as the House Ways and Means Education Budget Committee Chairman. Garret is a former CFO of two different publicly traded manufacturing companies and is a former Trussville Board of Education member. State Rep. Jim Hill will be returning as Chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee. Hill is a retired St. Clair County Judge. He works for the Moody-based law firm Hill, Gossett, Kemp & Hufford. Committee Chairs are very powerful because they set the agendas for what bills will and will not be considered in their committees and when. In the case of the Education and General Fund budget committees, the chairs have enormous influence over the budgets that pass out of their committees. Rep. Chris Pringle has been chosen by the House Republican Caucus as their designee to fill the role of Speaker Pro Tem, replacing Rep. Victor Gaston, who also did not seek re-election. Scott Stadthagen is replacing Ledbetter as House Majority Leader. The House Democratic Caucus has already elected Rep. Anthony Daniels to return as House Minority Leader. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
State Board of Education votes changes to require more high school students to be career ready
Alabama has record low unemployment, but also has some of the worst labor participation rates in the country. On Thursday, the State Board of Education, led by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, took bold action to change that. At Thursday’s meeting, the school board members voted in favor to intend to adopt an amended Alabama Administrative Code 290-3-1-.02 pertaining to regulations governing public schools. The new regs will require that Alabama public schools work more towards making sure that Alabama high school students are on a path toward either college or entering the workforce and not just passing along in the education system. “Today, Alabama took a productive step forward to better prepare our students for the workforce. We have got to close the gap between the graduation rate and the college and career readiness rate,” Gov. Ivey said in a statement. “This vote will help support our schools to do exactly that. To put this into perspective: For the classes of 2020 and 2021, the Alabama graduation rate was 92 percent; the college and career readiness rate was 76 percent. Folks that is a 16-percentage point gap, and we have to prepare Alabama students and workers for the jobs of tomorrow. Not only will we be closing the numbers gap here, we will be eliminating any opportunity gaps by making sure our students are ready to take the next step. Alabama parents want their children to graduate high school with the skills needed to excel in college and their career, and I share that goal. With the college and career readiness indicators, we now have more ways for students to demonstrate readiness than ever before. I am proud to take this important step to ensure every Alabama student has the opportunity for a successful future.” High school students graduating but then either not working or taking a series of part-time entry-level positions at minimum wage positions has long frustrated both employers and state workforce development, officials. There are numerous jobs available as truck drivers, nursing assistants, plumbers, pipefitters, welders, machinists, masons, diesel mechanics, cybersecurity specialists, corrections officers, law enforcement, etc. that do not require a college degree but do require some degree of training and skill development. State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville) chairs the House Ways and Means Education Committee in the Alabama House of Representatives. “What’s happened in the past is that teachers were steering people towards college, and not everybody is college material,” Garrett told Alabama Today. Garrett said that whether to take a college or a career path in high school would not be decided by the state. “We don’t want some educrat putting limits on the potential of the child,” Garrett said. “Ultimately, that is the decision between the parent and the child.” “We need to be candid with the parents of the child,” Garrett explained. “We can know a lot based on the testing that we have now.” Garrett said that the schools will still have to comply with federal special education law. “A lot of students have individualized education plans,” Garrett commented. “Those still have to be followed. You have to comply with the law. Sometimes the education plans are unrealistic.” “We need to set spending priorities,” Garrett said. “What we can’t do is spend everything that we are spending now and then add this on top of it. We need to be more strategic in our thinking.” Alabama Today asked if the students were going to be encouraged to go into trade schools. “We need to broaden our definition of what we mean by career ready,” Garrett said. “Technology has changed many fields and there is a huge demand for IT professionals.” Garrett stressed that technology has changed many fields, and the education system needs to keep up. “Auto mechanics is not the same as it once was now that you have the microchip,” Garrett stated. “Yes, we need to make sure that we have qualified instructors.” Currently, more Alabama students are on a pre-college path than will ever enroll in a college, much less actually get the degree. Many that do enroll in college are not prepared for college and have to enroll in remedial classes teaching subject matter that they should have learned in K-12…….and assuming student loan debt in the process. The new regulations are designed to identify a student’s interests and aptitude and then help get the skills training for them to enter into a career path so that when they finish high school they are prepared to directly enter the workforce, be admitted into a certificate program where they learn a trade, join the military, or go to a college or university. Workforce development has become a major concern to state economic planners as unemployment rates have never been lower, but far too many people are still living below the poverty line because they either lack the skills that industry needs today and are thus underemployed, or they are not in the workforce at all just getting by. The state needs to have to be able to provide skilled labor to potential employers who are considering locating in Alabama. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Danny Garrett: Katie Britt is the best choice for Alabama
President Ronald Reagan was an iconic conservative politician. He was also an effective statesman and leader. Reagan’s conservatism was comprised of eleven principles: Freedom. Faith. Family. Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life. American Exceptionalism. The Founders’ Wisdom and Vision. Lower Taxes. Limited Government. Peace Through Strength. Anti-Communism. Belief in the Individual. Reagan’s conservative principles reflect the values held today by most Alabamians. In November, Alabama Republicans will select as our next Senator – either Katie Britt, Mo Brooks, or Mike Durant, who are all claiming a conservative platform and message. But which candidate is the best choice for Alabama? My analysis of the upcoming Senate race leads me to confidently conclude that Katie Britt is clearly the best choice for Alabama. Katie Britt is the only candidate who was born in Alabama, raised in Alabama, and educated in Alabama. Likewise, her husband and his family have deep Alabama roots. Katie’s story is a testimony to the fact that hard work and perseverance are important values and keys to success – traits I think are especially important for younger generations to embrace. Raised in Enterprise by parents who were small business owners, Katie worked in the family business at an early age and continued working for small businesses to help pay her college tuition. After graduating from the University of Alabama, she worked in Washington, D.C. for about two years on the staff of Senator Richard Shelby, one of the longest-serving and most effective members of Congress. In 2007, she returned to the University of Alabama to serve as special assistant to the President, after which she earned a law degree from the University. In 2016, Sen. Shelby called her back to D.C. – this time to serve as Chief of Staff for a little over two years. In 2018, Katie was selected as President and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama, an organization that had fallen upon hard times and needed a strong leader to resolve a myriad of issues. Katie assembled an impressive team that (1) reunited opposing factions within the organization; (2) significantly grew BCA’s membership; (3) increased recruitment and participation of small businesses in the BCA; and (4) restored the BCA to a strong financial position through fiscally conservative budgeting practices. For Katie to have earned the respect, cooperation, and confidence of powerful and influential leaders of both Alabama’s largest employers and small business owners is a remarkable accomplishment. Her leadership skills and her BCA experience demonstrate her potential to work with other members of Congress and be an effective Senator. In 2020, Katie was instrumental in helping develop reopening plans for small businesses in Alabama that had been shut down by the Governor’s COVID Executive Orders. Throughout her career, Katie has repeatedly demonstrated the tenacity needed to tackle hard tasks as well as an exceptional ability to work with others to achieve outstanding results. Her staunch advocacy for small businesses and hardworking Alabamians during the pandemic was vitally important, including her launch of the Keep Alabama Open movement. Second, Katie’s views and political associations are solidly conservative. As Sen. Shelby’s Chief of Staff, she joined the fight for President Donald Trump’s tax cuts, blocking excessive Federal regulations, confirming conservative judicial nominees, helping to secure the border, and standing up for the values held by most Alabamians. During his presidency, Alabama’s Senate and House delegation membersconsistently supported President Trump’s legislative agenda and judicial nominations. In fact, Sen. Shelby’s votes aligned with President Trump’s position 90.7% of the time, more than Congressman Brooks’ percentage of 88.6%. As Senator, Katie will join her Alabama Republican colleagues in Washington, D.C. to continue supporting and advancing conservative legislation while representing the values of the vast majority of Alabamians. Katie is a proven fighter, but she does more than just fight – her fighting produces results. Her impressive work record and achievements demonstrate her ability to lead, collaborate and successfully build consensus around good ideas. During her time with Sen. Shelby, she gained valuable experience working with multiple administrations to hone and develop these skills. Congressman Brooks has been elected to Congress six times by voters of the 5th Congressional District. During his tenure, he has co-sponsored many pieces of legislation. However, he has only sponsored one bill that passed into law: H.R. 6513, renaming a post office in Athens, Alabama. Durant has a distinguished military and government contracting career, but he lacks legislative experience and does not have a public record to adequately assess how he might perform as a Senator. The fact is, we just don’t know Mike Durant. Katie’s success in turning around the BCA convinces me that leadership is a strength that sets her apart from her competitors. I am convinced Katie will not only fight for conservative values and causes, but she will motivate colleagues and work with others in the Senate to build consensus and be a driving force for enacting conservative legislation that reflect the values and views of the majority of Alabamians. Finally, the U.S. Senate is a body where seniority is extremely important. Committee appointments, financial appropriations, judicial confirmations, and the ability to influence legislation are heavily dependent upon tenure. Sen. Shelby’s 36-year tenure has been extremely beneficial for Alabama, especially in his current role as top Republican on the powerful Appropriations Committee. However, upon his retirement, the next Alabama senator will be positioned at the bottom of the seniority list. Alabama’s delegation lost seniority in 2017 when Sen. Sessions resigned to become the U.S. Attorney General. Age alone is not the determinant of fitness for office, nor should it be in choosing our next Senator. However, the Senate seniority structure is an important consideration. Senator Tommy Tuberville is 68 years old. Congressman Brooks is 67. Mike Durant is 60. Katie Britt is 40. Alabama’s seniority in the Senate has the potential to be an ongoing issue for several election cycles. Katie is the best choice for Alabama to have the opportunity to retain leadership in the U.S. Senate for
Alabama lawmakers approve teacher pay raise
Alabama lawmakers on Wednesday approved the largest teacher pay raise in a generation in an effort to keep experienced educators in the classroom. The raises are included in the education trust fund budget that got final approval when the Alabama House of Representatives agreed, without a dissenting vote, to Senate changes. The budget bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature. Teachers with nine or more years of experience would get raises ranging from 5% to up to nearly 21% for those with 35 years of classroom experience. Teachers with less than nine years of experience would see a 4% raise. School systems in Alabama and across the country have reported concerns about teacher shortages, particularly as the coronavirus pandemic accelerated a wave of retirements. That has led states to look at pay increases and other measures to try to recruit and retain educators. Rep. Danny Garrett, the chairman of the House budget-writing committee, said the goal is to make public school salaries more competitive for mid-career educators. “Already, we’ve heard of teachers who are reevaluating their retirement based upon this compensation. We’re actually competing with the private sector for some of these teachers. I think this goes a long way to make it very competitive,” Garrett said. A teacher with a bachelor’s degree and 10 years of experience would see their minimum salary rise from $48,822 to $51,795. A teacher with a bachelor’s degree and 20 years of experience would see their minimum salary rise from $51,810 to $57,214. A teacher with a master’s degree and 25 years of experience would see their minimum salary rise from $61,987 to $69,151. Amy Marlowe, executive director of the Alabama Education Association, said there has been a positive response from educators. “We’ve had so many who have said they are actually going to stay in the classroom who were considering retirement. I think it will go a long way toward the intent of the Legislature of retaining teachers,” Marlowe said. She said the budget also provides “much-needed resources in Alabama classrooms,” such as technology coordinators and reading and math coaches. The spending plan would also provide an automatic 1% yearly raise for educators and do away with a salary cap that currently ends step raises after 27 years of teaching. Alabama teachers last saw large pay raises in the 1980s when lawmakers approved 15% increases for two consecutive years during George Wallace’s last term as governor. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Lawmakers put job search requirement on unemployment benefit
People receiving unemployment benefits in Alabama could soon face a new requirement to contact three potential employers each week in order to keep receiving benefits. Alabama lawmakers gave final approval to the bill that now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her consideration. The House of Representatives voted 76-24 for the Senate-passed bill, and the Senate accepted a House change to the bill. State law already requires people on unemployment to make an effort to secure work. The legislation would specify that the person must contact three potential employers about finding a job. The contacts could be made in person or by telephone or email, said Republican Rep. Danny Garrett, who handled the bill in the House. Garrett said state rules now require one contact a week. “Your odds are finding work are going to be better, I believe, if you are looking three times versus one time,” Garrett said. Supporters said the measure would make sure that unemployment recipients were looking for work and increase their chance of finding a job. But opponents argued it is punitive toward poor people. Rep. Ralph Howard, a Democrat from Greensboro, said the requirement would be tough on low-income people in rural areas who may struggle finding transportation to get to job interviews and to a job. “What are we gaining as a state, other than putting a hindrance on somebody who is already hindered? We don’t know why that person lost that job. We don’t know whether the plant closed,” Howard said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
