State leaders push balancing budget to summer Special Session
Legislators are heading to Special Session this summer after hitting an impasse on the state’s general fund budget. The session ended with a vetoed spending plan and plenty of finger-pointing over who was to blame. Yet getting a budget this summer will depend on something in short supply this spring: agreement. Gov. Robert Bentley says he plans to again ask lawmakers to approve taxes and budget changes when they are called into a Special Session. Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said he wants the governor to write the Special Session call so lawmakers can address a wide variety of ideas, including gambling legislation. State agencies are without a budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Gov, Robert Bentley, his appointees see great success in Senate confirmations: See full list
While a lot didn’t go according to plan this session, Gov. Robert Bentley and his appointees have a lot to celebrate. Based on the list below Bentley and his appointments office had a very successful Legislative Session. Congratulations to everyone who saw their appointment confirmed. Below you will find a full list of 2015 Confirmations: CONFIRMED APPOINTMENTS Landscape Architect Board of Examiners Lea Ann Macknally Family Trust Board of Trustees Judy Shepura David Salter Lynn Campisi Athens State University Board of Trustees Senator Arthur Orr Macke Mauldin Ronnie Chronister State Board of Human Resources Dr. Phil B. Hammonds Alabama Firefighters’ Personnel Standards and Education Commission Gary Lenn Sparks Alabama Environmental Management Commission Houston Lanier Brown, II Scott Phillips Dr. Craig Elliott Martin Credit Union Administrator Sarah Moore Credit Union Administrators Board Ralph Altice Linda Cencula Greta Webb-Williams Harold Gregory McClellan Joseph R. Hand Charles Faulkner Port Authority Board of Directors Joseph S. McCarty Alvin Hope Algernon Stanley State Board of Education Al Thompson Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind BOT Frances E. Taylor Jackie L. Smith Ronald Lee Garrett Gerri W. Robinson Hope Curry Richard M. “Mitch” Kemmer, Jr. Board of Appeals for the Department of Labor Ray VanSchoubroek Public Accountancy Board Connie Sheppard-Harris Crime Victims Compensation Commission Billy Sharp Miriam Shehane Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board Christopher Alan Baker Edmond Eslava Angela Frost Dennis Wayne Key Penni McClammy Department of Rehabilitation Services Jimmie Varnado Eddie C. Williams Court of the Judiciary Lucinda Samford Cannon Gwaltney L. McCollum Daryl Perkins Auburn University Board of Trustees David Gainer Lanier Alabama Commission on Higher Education Stan Pylant Gulf States Marine Fisheries Council Chris Nelson Securities Commission James L. Hart Forestry Commission Steve May Banking Board Larry K. Deason Ann Scott Yelverton Alabama Electronic Security Board John David Orr Sheriff Derrick Cunningham Alabama Educational Television Commission J. Holland Tijuanna Adatunji Real Estate Commission Authority Danny Sharp Drycleaning Environmental Response Trust Fund Advisory Board Jason Windham University of South Alabama Board of Trustees Sandy Stimpson Ken O. Simon Mike Windom Sheriff Bryant Mixon Captain Ron Jenkins (USN, Ret.) Chandra Brown Stewart University of North Alabama Board of Trustees William Trapp Marcus Maples Alabama Surface Mining Commission Jack F. Bergsieker Kenneth Ray Russell Keith Plott Alabama Community College Systems Board of Trustees Al Thompson, III Frank Caldwell Crystal Brown Milton A. Davis, P.E. Ron Fantroy Chuck Smith Blake McAnally, PE/PLS Susan Blythe Foy Alabama Trust Fund Board Edgar Pruitt Agriculture & Industries Board Emory Mosely, Jr. J.B. Turner, Jr. John Walker Phillip Hunter Fred Cespedes Joey Harris Reafield Vester Tuscaloosa County Civil Service Board Brock Jones Rev. Jefferey Cammon Alabama State University Board of Trustees Angela D. McKenzie Pamela J. Ware Ralph D. Ruggs Joe Whitt Darrell Hudson Textbook Committee: Science Claudia Thomas Mitchell David Vess Mary Hooks Ginger Montgomery Katherine Emmerson Jo Chambers Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees Tony Ingram Board of Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Contractors Heshmat Aglan Statewide 911 Board Wayne Hutchens Robert Smith Evelyn Causey Betty Sanders FAVORABLE COMMITTEE REPORT WITH NO FURTHER ACTION (APPOINTEES CONTINUE TO SERVE) University of Montevallo Board of Trustees Gary Ellis Board of Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Contractors Barrett S. Richard CARRIED OVER IN COMMITTEE (APPOINTEE CONTINUES TO SERVE) Alabama State University Board of Trustees Kimberly Kelley Rucker REJECTED BY SENATE Alabama State University Board of Trustees Lonnie A. Washington
Alabama Senate to vote on general fund
The Alabama Senate is headed to a budget vote as they wrap up a session marred by frustrations and disagreements over a hole-filled general fund. Senators will vote Thursday afternoon on the budget that will include significant cuts to state agencies. Lawmakers failed to reach an agreement this session on revenue. Sen Bobby Singleton, a Democrat from Greensboro, said Republican legislators should be ashamed of the budget. The Republican-controlled Legislature rejected a call by Gov. Robert Bentley, also a Republican, for $541 million in new taxes to fill the budget hole, repay debts and provide additional money for state agencies. Senate Rules Chairman Jabo Waggoner says the plan is to adjourn the session after the budget is passed. Legislators say they are largely resigned to a special session sometime this summer. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Legislative session enters home stretch with no budget fix
Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday begin the home stretch of the legislative session with their biggest challenge still unsolved: a shortfall in the general fund budget. There are four legislative meeting days remaining and so far no consensus on how to handle a projected $200 million shortfall in next year’s general fund budget. Legislators have been unable to agree on tax increases or on a proposal to shift some money from the education budget to avoid cuts to key state agencies. “I think most are resigned to a special session,” Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Chairman Arthur Orr, a Republican of Decatur, said. The stalemate comes after months of negotiations by legislators on ways to fill the budget hole and warnings by Gov. Robert Bentley about the severe cuts to state services that will occur if they don’t. Lawmakers have rejected Bentley’s call for $541 million in new taxes. House GOP members temporarily backed a smaller $151 million tax increase but withdrew it after Senate leaders said GOP senators would oppose it. The session is expected to conclude next week, but by law must end by June 15. Here is a look at the status of other issues before lawmakers this session: Payday loans An effort to limit what payday lenders can charge on the short-term loans appears to be stalling again this legislative session. A House committee approved a bill that would give borrowers more time to repay a loan, taking the window from 14 days to six months. However, the bill has not gotten a vote on the House floor. Alabama Accountability Act Alabama lawmakers are close to making changes to a controversial school choice program that helps families pay for private school. A conference committee is considering the bill to expand the yearly cap on the tax credits that fuel the scholarships from $25 million to $30 million. It would also tighten income requirements on the scholarships and increase reporting requirements on the organizations that grant the scholarships. Abortion The bill that would ban abortion clinics within 2,000 feet of public K-12 schools has been approved by the House of Representatives but has not gotten a Senate vote. The bill would force a Huntsville abortion clinic, one of the state’s five abortion clinics, to move or close. Another House bill would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, but has not gotten a floor vote. Marriage licenses/Gay marriage A bill, brought in response to the possibility of the U.S Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage, would get Alabama out of the marriage license business altogether. The bill would do away with current state marriage licenses issued by probate judges. Instead, couples would take a contract witnessed by a couple’s minister or attorney. The state Senate approved the bill but it has not gotten a House vote. Gambling A bill aimed at allowing a lottery and casinos in the state is dead for the session. The proposal did not get a floor vote in the Alabama Senate. In the final four days of the session, senators, under legislative rules, must unanimously agree to send approved Senate bills down to the House for consideration. The procedural hurdle dooms senators’ controversial bills in the final days of the session. Medical marijuana Like the gambling legislation, a Senate bill to allow the use of medicinal marijuana for certain illnesses and conditions, is also dead for the session because it did not get a Senate floor vote. The bill did get out of the Senate Judiciary Committee this year. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Gov. Robert Bentley makes 9 appointments this week
This is the first of a regular column on Alabama Today listing Gov. Robert Bentley’s recent appointments and most current list of vacancies for boards and commissions. Before we get into the most recent appointments I wanted to start by introducing the appointments process and staff. The current staff includes Lyndsey Stewart as the director of appointments and Will Edwards as the assistant director of appointments and scheduling. According to her LinkedIn profile, Stewart, a 2004 graduate of the University of Alabama, joined the governor’s office in September 2013 as his director of appointments. Prior to that she worked for two years as governmental affairs coordinator at Maynard, Cooper & Gale P.C. and has more than five years professional experience before then. According to the list of vacancies, “The Appointments Office supports the Governor in meeting his major obligation to appoint qualified, representative and appropriate people to positions on regulatory and licensing boards and commissions, university trustees, advisory boards and task forces. We are continually looking for qualified candidates to serve on 450+ boards and commissions that oversee a large variety of industries and make decisions that affect the day-to-day lives of Alabamians.” The office’s statement goes on to say, “We are always glad to hear from you, and appreciate your input on the appointments process. Interested candidates may submit their resume/bio to appointments@governor.alabama.gov.” According to the governor’s office, this past week these appointments have been made: Alabama Historical Commission State Historic Preservation Officer (acting): Lisa Jones 911 Board CMRS 1: C. Wayne Hutchens VoIP Services 1: Robert Smith Jasper Civil Service Board Member: Roger D. Wilson State Textbook Committee: Science 6thCongressional District: Jo Chambers Mental Health Board of Trustees Congressional District 1: Wade B. Perry Jr. Congressional District 2: The Honorable Jim Perdue Congressional District 7: Reverend David L. Bennett Sr. Motorsports Hall of Fame State At-Large: Duane Stephens
Alabama legislative week in review: May 26-28
The 26th legislative day ended with reports from House and Senate lawmakers that an August Special Session is likely in order to finish discussions on overcoming the states short-term and long-term budget shortfalls. Agenda items before lawmakers in August could include Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh’s lottery and gaming proposal, various measures to increase state revenue, and a controversial proposal from Sen. Gerald Dial to eliminate earmarks and unify the education and general fund budgets. At a public hearing on Wednesday, agency chiefs outlined a list of horrible outcomes — from prison closures to shortages in mental health services — should the austere general fund budget come to fruition. Despite those concerns, lawmakers gave the budget proposal a favorable report by a vote of 13-0, moving the stripped-down budget closer to reality. Here is a quick week in review going through all of the major headlines from this week’s legislative agenda: Alabama lawmakers offered a final unanimous vote on a bill that would allow physicians to prescribe terminally ill patients promising, but unapproved medical treatments. House Bill 463, known as the Right to Try Act, allows doctors caring for people with terminal illnesses to prescribe medications that the Food and Drug Administration has deemed promising, but not yet ready for mass consumption. Thursday’s vote makes Alabama one of at least 12 states that have passed right to try legislation this year. • • • The Alabama House passed a bill to establish integrated care networks to allow more Medicaid recipients to stay in their homes instead of nursing homes. • • • The House also voted 68-26 to expand the Alabama Accountability Act and tighten restrictions on scholarships and the groups that distribute them.’ • • • Gov. Robert Bentley appointed the state’s first commission to oversee Alabama’s 25 community and technical colleges. Lawmakers say the eight-member commission will help schools to focus on developing more specialized training programs and preparing entry-level employees to meet growing workforce demands. • • • The House Judiciary committee offered a favorable report on House Bill 657, to ban employment discrimination on the basis of “immutable” characteristics that do not effect job performance. Bill sponsor Rep. Mike Ball said that the measure would protect differences in gender expression, gender identity and sexual orientation. The following day, lawmakers blocked House Bill 615, Rep. Chris England’s proposal to establish civil rights protections against any discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or familiar status.
State, feds reach agreement on women’s prison abuse, conditions
Alabama has reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over a state prison for women that federal officials said subjected inmates to a toxic culture of abuse and harassment. The agency on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit against Alabama over conditions at Julia Tutwiler Prison and a settlement agreement to address the abuse. The Justice Department said last year that corrections officers at the prison had assaulted inmates, coerced inmates into sex, inappropriately watched inmates in the showers and organized a New Year’s Eve strip show. Alabama agreed to install monitoring cameras and put in place new procedures to ensure inmate complaints are taken seriously. Gov. Robert Bentley said the changes will make Tutwiler a safer place for inmates and staff. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama governor, education board OK charter school commission
The Alabama State Board of Education confirmed a list of appointed nominees on Tuesday for the state’s new charter school commission. Gov. Robert Bentley, who is president of the board but rarely attends meetings, made a surprise appearance. He said he attended after it became clear the board couldn’t make a quorum without him. “This was put in legislation and we need to get the board in place and so I felt like we needed a quorum so I came over to make a quorum and chair the meeting,” he said. Earlier this month, the board angered members of the Alabama Legislature by refusing to confirm the commission, which is designated with hearing appeals of charter school applications rejected on the local level. Earlier this year, Bentley and the Legislature approved a plan to allow charter schools. According to the law, the commission is appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, House speaker and Senate president pro tem. The nominees then must be confirmed by the state board. The delay had prompted Republican Rep. Terri Collins of Decatur to introduce a bill that would cut the state board out of the confirmation process. Several board members who contested the first confirmation vote were absent on Tuesday because of funerals or illnesses. “I think they need a place,” Bentley said of the board. “They need a board that people can apply to and bring their grievances to, so I think a board being in place is important and I think it is good for the process.” Hours later, Collins withdrew her bill from the House calendar. State Superintendent Tommy Bice said the board will serve the commission as administrative support. “I know there are some members that may have differing opinions and that’s why we have a board,” he said. “Everybody’s not expected to show up and have the same opinion, so it was voted on today, it’s done now, we have the commission and we look forward to working with them.” Bice said the majority of the state’s charter school structure will not involve the commission, but because the BOE oversees K-12 education it’s important for it to stay involved in the process. “I mean, at the end of the day, the implementation, of the charter bill law rests with the state department of education,” he said. “We’re putting together the regulations; we’re putting together the implementation procedures, all those things associated with it, even with this commission.” Board member Ella Bell, who said she was absent for the funeral of her longtime friend and campaign manager, said she was glad the governor attended. “They are his people,” Bell said. One of the board members who voted was Mary Scott Hunter. Hunter said she’s heard other states also have had early difficulties in creating charter schools, but expects future votes will be “more normalized.” “I certainly can see why it was filed,” she said of the bill Collins sponsored. “It was filed as an insurance policy against this board not getting the vote that it needed. But now this board has gotten the vote that it needed, in the normal course, and has shown that it can get this done.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Robert Bentley announces increased grants for VPK programs
Tuesday afternoon Gov. Robert Bentley issued a news release touting his administration’s efforts to increase funding for Alabama’s voluntary prekindergarten programs — recently called one of the nation’s best — amid an ongoing budget deficit looming in the state budget. “The most important part of a child’s education is a good, solid foundation at a young age, and our First Class voluntary pre-k program provides that,” Bentley wrote in a prepared statement Tuesday. “All children, regardless of where they live, deserve the opportunity to excel. A high-quality, voluntary pre-k program improves their chances of success in school long-term. This is a wise investment that will benefit children and families throughout Alabama.” After the Legislature’s approval of a state education budget, the governor highlighted ongoing issues with access to VPK programs, which sags below national averages despite the recent national success. “Demand for these grants has far exceeded our supply,” Bentley said in a release. “Only 13 percent of Alabama’s four-year-olds are currently enrolled in the First Class program and that is the reason we need to continue expanding access to this program. It is my goal to give more families the option of enrolling their children in voluntary pre-k, and I will continue my efforts to expand access to First Class even more,” the governor said. Budget talks are expected to continue until near the end of the Regular Session, scheduled for June 15. Major top-line spending levels will depend on the resolution of a deal on gaming, on which there are currently competing proposals. Sen. Del Marsh has promulgated a proposal that would provide for a state lottery and the opening of new gambling facilities to help raise revenue. The Poarch Creek Indian nation, meanwhile, has offered to cover the projected budget hole in exchange for exclusive gaming rights throughout the state. Bentley has asked the Legislature for a series of tax increases, including on cigarettes a proposal which has led to discussion of changing the way all vices are taxed in special session. So far talk of taxes have proven unpopular among rank-and-file lawmakers in the Statehouse though Speaker Mike Hubbard has joined the Governor in his efforts.
Lawmakers approve state education budget
The Alabama Legislature has given final approval to the education budget that expands the state’s prekindergarten program. The House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously approved a conference committee agreement on the spending plan. The budget now goes to Gov. Robert Bentley for his signature. The budget steers an additional $10 million to the state’s prekindergarten program. The increase is projected to enable another 1,800 4-year-olds to attend the public preschool program. House Education Budget Chairman Bill Poole said the budget makes classroom spending a priority. The budget does not include raises for state teachers. Alabama lawmakers are still working on the state’s other budget. The General Fund budget could include funding cuts to state agencies unless lawmakers agree on new revenue sources. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama governor’s mansion in disrepair
With boarded-up windows, peeling paint and a rooftop tarp that flaps in the ocean breeze, the beachfront retreat at the end of Gulf Way Drive is a $1 million eyesore in paradise. Odd as it may seem, this pricey dump is Alabama’s coastal governor’s mansion. And it has been falling apart for nearly two decades because of government inaction. The state has been unwilling to repair the house since it was damaged by a hurricane 18 years ago. Officials also have refused to return the land to the developer who donated the property for a gubernatorial retreat in 1962. So there sits the mansion, vacant and deteriorating a little more each day. Neighbor Ralph Gilges says he has asked the state to at least paint the house and repair the rusting fence, but nothing has happened yet. “It is nuts,” Gilges said. “We would really like to see something done with it.” Property caretaker Bill Ross, a retired Mobile shop supervisor, comes by three days a week to guard against vandalism, cut grass and make sure plywood covers the broken windows. But Ross is 88, and the demands of caring for a nearly 7,500-square-foot, two-story beachfront house far outstrip his abilities. “It’s just a shame that it’s in this condition,” Ross said. Governors used the six-bedroom, four-bath house off and on until it Hurricane Danny damaged it in 1997. Since then, successors have been unwilling to take on the political risky task of renovating a mansion that most Alabamians couldn’t afford. Property records show Republican Gov. Robert Bentley owns two homes within a couple miles of the mansion, so he has no personal need to fix the house. Plus, spending state money on mansion repairs as he supports tax increases to plug budget gaps could be tough politically. Bentley has stopped by several times recently to look at the mansion, and he told The Associated Press that an architect is assessing what could be done with the property. No final decisions have been made, but Bentley said possibilities include using it for entertainment as an economic development tool. “The reason we need to at least improve it is because of the neighborhood,” Bentley said. The mansion “is deteriorating, and it does belong to the state.” Gilges, who discussed the mansion’s condition with Bentley after seeing him on the property, said the time might be right to get something done. “There are things a second-term governor can do that a first-term governor can’t, and I told him that,” Gilges said. “It’s quite a dilemma.” Built with private contributions, the house was constructed on land donated by Louisiana developer E. Lamar Little and his partners in 1962, when George C. Wallace was in his first of four terms as governor. Workers began repairs after Hurricane Danny but they weren’t completed. New doors, windows and exterior columns remain stacked inside, unused and covered with dust. Ross’ patch jobs have kept the interior dry and some of the lights still work, yet the kitchen, family room, den and bedrooms have all been gutted. Little twice filed lawsuits to reclaim the property, but courts turned away both challenges, most recently in 2010. “I was so disappointed in the state,” Little, 89, said in an interview from his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “It looks like it has so much potential … and no one picked it up and ran with it.” The original donation agreement bars the state from selling the property. Records show the house is worth $403,200 despite its poor condition, and it is attached to two beachfront lots worth a total of $686,200. Until someone figures out what to do with the property, Ross said he will come by, unlock the rusty gate and mow the lawn every few days. State records show he draws about $8,400 annually for his work. “I’m just supposed to be here,” he said. “I do a little maintenance, and I love cutting grass.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama unemployment rate increases slightly in April
Alabama’s jobless rate ticked up slightly to 5.8 percent in April after months of steady decline. The state’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in March, which was the lowest level since July 2008. Alabama’s unemployment rate is still above the national average of 5.4 percent. Gov. Robert Bentley said there were positives in the monthly numbers. Alabama Department of Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald Washington says the state is getting close to the number of jobs the economy supported prior to the recession. Shelby County has the lowest unemployment rate in Alabama at 3.6 percent. Wilcox County has the highest at 13.8 percent. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
