Government

Change Proposed in State Funding for Students in Growing School Systems

A bill in the Alabama Senate would change the per-student funding model for growing K-12 schools, taking some burden off of local systems to pay for additional students, advocates say. Currently, systems receive a per-pupil allocation from the state based on prior year enrollments. Senate Bill 316 would change the funding formula to account for enrollment increases, projecting growth based on the previous two years’ enrollment growth. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Bill Would Change Rules for States of Emergency, Public Health Orders

Some state senators want more say in extended emergency orders like the ones put in place in response to the coronavirus. Current law says the Alabama governor can issue a state of emergency for up to 60 days. A bill filed Monday in the State House would limit that to 14 days and then require legislative approval for an extension. Senate Bill 334 also says that no public health order issued by the state health officer will take effect until it is signed by the governor and delivered to the secretary of state. Current orders, like the late March order that closed many Alabama businesses and limited public gatherings, are signed by Public Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris alone. Read more.

by Mary Sell and Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Lawmakers Return to Changed Legislative Session

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature resumed Monday a legislative session that looks much different from when it began three months ago. Wearing masks and sitting apart, lawmakers gathered without lobbyists in the hallways or members of the public in the galleries, kept out of the State House over coronavirus health concerns. In the House, many Democrats stayed home Monday in protest, saying lawmakers shouldn't be meeting or passing budgets yet. While passing the General Fund and education budgets are the stated purpose of resuming the session that must end by May 18, they're not the only bills in play. The Alabama Senate on Monday considered local bills and formal resolutions but also passed Gov. Kay Ivey's bond issue proposal borrowing $1.25 billion for school construction and capital improvements. Senators on Tuesday could consider legislation giving them and their House colleagues significant say in how the state’s nearly $1.8 billion in federal coronavirus relief money, and future funds, are spent. Read more.

by Mary Sell and Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Senate Passes $1.25 Billion Bond Issue for Schools

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama State Senate on Monday passed legislation to authorize a $1.25 billion bond issue to fund school construction and other capital improvement projects. Senate Bill 242 passed 29-0 in the Senate and now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. First proposed by Gov. Kay Ivey in her State of the State address, the bond issue would help K-12 schools and state colleges pay for capital improvements, from construction projects to technology upgrades. Read more.

by Todd Stacy, Alabama Daily News

DAs Look to Legislature for Funding Help After COVID-19

MONTGOMERY — Several district attorneys in Alabama say the coronavirus pandemic has reduced funding for their offices and they’re looking to the Legislature for help. At least two DAs have already cut staffing or salaries because of the drop in revenue, they said. District attorneys receive about 30% of their funding from the state’s General Fund budget. The other 70% comes from court fees and fines. “To collect that 70%, three things have to be working,” Morgan County DA Scott Anderson recently said. “The economy, law enforcement writing tickets and making arrests and the courts holding court. All three of those things came to a halt with the coronavirus.” Read more.

by Caroline Beck and Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Fifth Inmate in Alabama Prison Tests Positive for COVID-19

A fifth Alabama prison inmate has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, the state Department of Corrections announced Thursday night. The inmate, who was at Bibb Correctional Facility in Brent, tested positive while being treated at a local hospital and is under care there, according to a corrections news release. Read more.

by Tom Gordon

Alabama Starts Reopening; Birmingham Requires Face Coverings and Institutes Nighttime Curfew

Alabama is officially restarting its economy – a bit. The state’s Stay-at-Home order expired at 5 p.m. as a new Safer-at-Home order took its place, and the Shelter-in-Place order for the city of Birmingham expires at midnight. But Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin announced Thursday afternoon that the city had instituted a curfew that begins each evening at 10:00 and ends the following morning at 5:00. Woodfin also reminded people that the city has a new law that beginning Friday requires people out in public to wear face coverings. Medical-grade masks are not required by the ordinance; scarves, bandanas or other fabrics will suffice. As the state eases up on its emergency order, retail stores were cleared to open at 5 p.m. Thursday, if they choose. However, they must limit the shoppers allowed in to half or less of their maximum capacity, disinfect and allow room for customers to stay 6 feet or more away from each other. Businesses, too, may reopen if they can ensure social distancing among workers. Elective medical procedures also may resume. The state’s beaches are open, but gatherings of 10 people or more are still prohibited, and people still must stay 6 feet away from each other. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Jefferson County Reopening Courthouses Friday, With Some Restrictions

The new normal begins Friday in Jefferson County as the County Commission reopens its courthouses and county facilities. The commission’s order to close county facilities to the public expires Thursday. “You’ll see some changes when you come in the courthouse,” county manager Tony Petelos said. “We're doing everything that we possibly can to protect our employees and to protect the public.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Senate Committee OKs $2.38B General Fund Budget

MONTGOMERY — An Alabama Senate committee on Tuesday approved a proposed 2021 General Fund Budget of $2.38 billion, an increase from the current fiscal year funding but less than what was expected before the coronavirus outbreak cut into tax revenues. The funding increases were primarily for four agencies: Medicaid, mental health, corrections and public health. Raises that were anticipated earlier in the year for state employees aren't in the budget. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Todd Stacy and Caroline Beck Alabama Daily News

Ivey Issues New ‘Safer at Home’ Order, Businesses, Stores, Beaches to Open

MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday announced her new “safer at home” order, which will allow a gradual reopening of parts of the state’s economy and will replace the current stay-at-home order that is set to expire at 5 p.m. Thursday. This new order still encourages individuals to stay at home and social distance themselves from others whenever possible, but it allows retail stores to open as long as they remain at or below 50% their maximum occupancy rate and allow for social distancing. It also allows businesses to remain open provided they can ensure social distancing among workers Elective medical procedures will now be allowed to resume, Ivey and State Public Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said. The state's beaches will also reopen, but gatherings of 10 people or more are still prohibited, and people still must stay 6 feet away from each other. Ivey emphasized that this is just the first phase of a multi-phase process for reopening the state and urged Alabamians to keep taking the threat of COVID-19 seriously. “We’re still seeing the virus spread and all of our people are susceptible to the infection,” Ivey said. “We must continue to be vigilant in our social distancing both today and for the foreseeable future.” Entertainment venues and athletic facilities will still remain closed as well as close-contact services such as barber shops, hair salons, nail salons and tattoo shops. Bars still will be closed and restaurants still will be limited to delivery or curbside service. Harris said that the relatively flat rate of new cases seen in recent days has been an encouraging factor in deciding to go forward with this first phase of reopening. Newly diagnosed cases in Alabama are now around 200 per day. There has also been no shortage of ventilators, and ICU bed capacity and overall hospital capacity has not been strained, Harris said. "It's definitely reasonable to begin a reopening like this," Harris said. "We do have adequate ICU beds and the ability to care for people within the four walls of the hospital and have not needed the alternative care sites that we had prepared for. So all these things are very encouraging to us." Read more. View a chart of what the new order covers.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News