Category: Alabama Legislature
Deer-Baiting Bill Passes House
MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday voted to allow people to use bait when hunting deer and feral hogs, for a fee. Read more.
PARCA Survey Says Alabamians Want Fewer Non-Violent Criminals in Prison, More Money for Education
The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama in a new survey said Alabamians favor supervising non-violent criminals in the community and giving them more rehabilitation opportunities rather than sending them to prison.
In the ”Public Opinion Survey: 2019 Edition,” released Wednesday, a slight majority of residents surveyed, 58 percent, oppose building new prisons. Almost that many, 54 percent, thought only violent criminals should be held in the state’s prisons.
As in previous PARCA surveys, Alabamians ranked education as the most important service the state provides, followed by health care, public safety and highways. Read more.
Bills to Prohibit Cities From Banning Plastic Bags Advance
MONTGOMERY — Some state lawmakers want to stop local governments from banning plastic bags, even though no Alabama cities have considered such action as of yet.
Bills sponsored by Sen. Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro, and Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, would prohibit counties or municipalities from enacting any ban or tax on bags or other similar single-use items.
Senate Bill 244 and House Bill 346 were approved in committees this week and now move to the Senate and House.
“We’re just trying to provide a uniformity of commerce for the state and protect Alabama businesses and consumers so they are not charged for that,” Livingston said. Read more.
Bill to Require County School Superintendents Be Appointed Clears Senate
Legislation from Sen. Tom Butler, R-Huntsville, would require that county school superintendents be appointed, not elected.
Gas Tax Revisit Bill Uncertain in House
A bill to stop the possible automatic increases or decreases in Alabama’s new gas tax was on a House committee schedule for this week but was pulled.
Literacy Bill Focuses on Early Reading, Holding Back Third-Graders With Poor Skills
Updated — Alabama public school third-graders who don’t have sufficient reading skills will not move on to fourth grade under proposed legislation that will dedicate more time, training and financial resources to early elementary literacy.
“If a child can’t read by third grade, their chances for retention later go up, their chances of not graduating go up,” Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, told Alabama Daily News on Monday. She plans to file legislation called the Alabama Literacy Act this week. Read more.
GOP Lawmakers Say Abortion Ban Bill Worth Potential Fight
MONTGOMERY — Legislation to criminalize the performance of almost all abortions in Alabama goes further than many of the more than two dozen anti-abortion bills proposed in other conservative states this year.
The heavy restrictions in the bill are exactly why more than 70 GOP lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors, hoping the U.S. Supreme Court, now with five Republican-appointed justices, will limit constitutional protections on abortions. Several lawmakers told Alabama Daily News the legislation would be worth a costly legal fight when pro-choice groups challenge it. Read more.
Ethics Exemption Passes House Overwhelmingly
MONTGOMERY — A bill to exempt economic developers from state ethics rules governing lobbyists passed the Alabama House of Representatives overwhelmingly Thursday. The vote was 94-4, with three abstentions.
The legislation is seen as essential by the state’s economic development community, which argues that treating site selectors like lobbyists and requiring them to publicly disclose their clients will result in Alabama missing out on the next Mercedes, Honda or Mazda-Toyota type of projects. Read more.
Vaping Regulation Bill Advances
MONTGOMERY — Citing increased usage by teens, Alabama lawmakers want to put more regulations on the sale of vaping devices and electronic cigarettes.
House Bill 41 was approved unanimously by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. The bill updates the state’s definition of alternative nicotine products to include electronic cigarettes, vaporizing devices and liquids intended to be vaporized. A substitute bill adopted Wednesday added nicotine gums, mints and lozenges to that list.
“The main goal of this was to put checks and balances in place to regulate the sale of these devices to minors and to regulate the sale and advertisement of the different flavors for the devices in and around schools,” bill sponsor Rep. Shane Stringer, R-Citronelle, said during the committee meeting. Read more.
Bills for More Generous RSA Pension Benefits in Committees Wednesday, Lawmakers Want to Know Impact to State
MONTGOMERY — Legislation being considered in the Alabama State House could offer better retirement benefits to public school teachers and many city and county government employees, as well. Read more.
