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Pay Raises, Targeted Funding Increases in Ivey’s Budgets

Gov. Kay Ivey submitted her budget proposals to the Legislature Wednesday, asking for modest pay raises for teachers, school support staff and state workers, along with targeted funding increases for several programs, including the state's troubled prison system. Ivey's proposed Education Trust Fund for fiscal year 2022 totals $7.65 billion, an increase of more than $440 million from the current fiscal year. Her General Fund budget totals $2.45 billion, which is a decrease of $31 million from the current year's budget. Both budgets are based on state tax revenue projections, which state finance officials are cautiously optimistic about at the moment. Both budgets also have mechanisms that direct excess revenue to "rainy day" accounts to prevent future budget cuts known as proration. Read more.

by Todd Stacy, Alabama Daily News

Medical Marijuana, Alcohol Delivery, COVID Liability Bills Pass First Tests

Bills that would allow the use of medical marijuana and the home delivery of alcohol, plus a long-anticipated lawsuit liability bill, were some of the major legislation to advance Wednesday in the Legislature. It was the first committee day of the new session, and lawmakers are working fast for fear of another COVID-19 slowdown, as happened last year. The day was not without some glitches. While the public has been encouraged to stay out of the State House and watch action online, at least three committees had technological difficulties and at least part of their meetings couldn’t be seen. Read more. More from the Legislature: 5G Infrastructure Bill Clears Senate Legislative Session Starts With Caution, Big Bills Bill Would Filter Emergency Health Orders Through Layman Board in Jefferson County Read more on the legislative session, which began Tuesday.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Gambling Proposals Must Pass the ‘Smell Test’ Before Going to Voters, Ivey Tells Lawmakers

Gov. Kay Ivey challenged Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday to be transparent, thoughtful and deliberate as they debate proposals to expand gambling, and said it will be up to voters to make the final decision. “I look forward to working with the men and women of the House and Senate to give Alabamians an opportunity to decide, once and for all, if a different approach to gambling is in the best interest of our state,” she said during her State of the State address. “This must be a transparent process,” she said. “And if something does not pass the smell test, I’ll sure let you know.” The governor said more than 180 gambling bills have been introduced for the legislative session that began Tuesday, but the voice of the people has not been heard. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Broadband Expansion to Underserved Areas Could Cost $4B-$6B

It will cost around $4 billion to $6 billion to bring broadband access to underserved areas of the state, Alabama lawmakers were recently told. The information, along with an updated map of those underserved portions of the state, was presented by CTC Technology and Energy, which has a contract to develop a statewide plan for broadband access. Joanne Hovis, CTC president, said the cost estimate was based on providing the best level of technology. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Alabama Could Be Home To Amazon’s First Unionized Warehouse In The U.S.

Amazon could be on the verge of its first unionized warehouse in the U.S. If workers at the Alabama facility vote yes next month, they would turn a new page both for the company and the region. Read more.

by ALINA SELYUKH, WBHM/NPR

COVID-19 Deaths in Alabama Top 5,000 Mark

Alabama's COVID-19 death toll climbed above the 5,000 mark on Thursday as the state Department of Public Health added 86 deaths in its daily update. The agency said 5,080 people have died of the disease since the pandemic began in March. The 86 deaths included some that occured over the holiday period last weekend and were reported on a delayed basis. ADPH reported an additional 5,046 new cases of the coronavirus in its 24-hour update, including some that were diagnosed last weekend. There have been 389,230 cases throughout the pandemic. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Will Richard Shelby Run Again in 2022? If Not, Who Will Try for His Senate Seat?

Richard Shelby was sworn in to the United States House of Representatives in 1979, eight years before he took his current place in the Senate. He was 44 years old at the time, and also a Democrat. A lot has changed for the Birmingham native since then. Having switched to the Republican Party in 1994 after the GOP’s historic sweep of Congress, Shelby has assumed a great deal of influence in the Senate, now serving as chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee. It’s a position that has helped him steer federal money to the state since he took the gavel two years ago, and it’s a chairmanship that Shelby — and many of his Republican friends back in Alabama — is keen to keep. But time is not on his side. With two years remaining in his sixth and term, Shelby faces a huge decision: whether or not to run for re-election in 2022, when he would be 88 years old. It’s a decision Shelby has said he will announce sometime in January. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Terri Sewell, 2020 general election

U.S. House of Representatives, Alabama District 7 Terri Sewell Party: Democrat Age: 55 Residence: Birmingham Political experience: Member, U.S. House of Representatives, Alabama District 7, 2011-present. Professional experience: Shareholder, Maynard, Cooper & Gale, P.C., 2005-present; Associate, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, 1994-2005; law clerk, Judge U.W. Clemon, Northern District of Alabama, 1993-1994. Civic experience: Board

by Glenn Stephens

Jeffco Commission to Dip Into Contingency Fund Rather Than Amending Budget

Rather than adding to the just approved fiscal 2021 budget, Jefferson County Commissioners said Tuesday that money called for from a recent classification survey would come from the county’s contingency fund. Chief Financial Officer Angela Dixon presented a resolution for an increase in funds related to a community development specialist position. The survey called for additional funds totaling $119,280. “We’re in a brand-new budget,” Commissioner Steve Ammons said. “Why would this survey not be done prior to us doing the budget so we don’t have a budget amendment just 45 days into the budget?” Commission President Jimmie Stephens moved to change the funding request, with the money coming from the commission’s contingency fund rather than the balance of the budget. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Alabama COVID-19 Case Total Rises by 1,561, With 42 More Deaths

The Alabama Department of Public Health reported a big increase in the number of casses of COVID-19 and deaths from the disease on Saturday, but the agency issued a statement saying the figures included a backlog of cases from the past few weeks. The daily dashboard showed 1,561 confirmed new cases and 42 deaths, bringing the totals to 115,284 cases and 2,059 deaths since the pandemic began in mid-March. In addition 8,462 casees and 90 deaths were listed as probably from the coronavirus. But the department said in a statement that it began using a new laboratory and when that happens "we sometimes will receive a backlog of results, both positive and negative." Read more.

by BirminghamWatch