Alabama Legislature

Melson: Support of ‘Solid Legislators’ Key for Medical Marijuana; What’s Next for Access

MONTGOMERY -- Going into this year’s legislative session, Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, said he knew the Senate would pass the medical marijuana bill he sponsored. It was the House where the bill would face a tougher vote. But when some “solid legislators” in the House said they’d vote for his bill, Melson became hopeful. “I'm not gonna say solid conservatives or liberals or whatever, but guys who are solid legislators," Melson said, mentioning specifically Reps. Allen Treadaway, R-Birmingham, and Allen Farley, R-McCalla, both former law enforcement leaders, and Rep. Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, the pragmatic House budget committee chairman. "When they realized that this wasn’t about Republican or Democrat issues, it was about taking care of people, I thought we had a good chance,” Melson said. “… I knew then that the opposition wasn’t as strong as everyone anticipated.” The bill to allow people with certain medical conditions access to forms of medical marijuana cleared the House on one of the final nights of the legislative session, and Gov. Kay Ivey signed it into law last week. Now the work begins to set up the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. The 14 members will be appointed by July 1 and will be in charge of creating the rules, regulations and best practices for growing, cultivating, processing and selling a medical cannabis product in the state. Read more.

by Mary Sell and Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Orr Not Running for Congress, Seeks to Stay in State House

State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, will seek a fifth term in the Alabama Legislature next year. The Morgan County native had considered a run for Congress in Alabama’s 5th District, the north Alabama seat Mo Brooks is leaving to run for the U.S. Senate. Orr said he had potential donors and supporters discuss a congressional bid with him. “I think with the current field of candidates, the race is wide open, but the Lord is just not calling me to do that at this time in my life,” Orr, 57, said. “It was an easy decision.” Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Ivey Vetoes Literacy Act Delay Bill

MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey has vetoed a bill that would have delayed until 2024 a requirement that third-grade students who are not reading proficiently repeat the grade. Senate Bill 94, sponsored by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, would have delayed the holdback provision in the Alabama Literacy Act from spring 2022 to spring 2024. Democrats and many Republicans supported the bill arguing that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected students’ education, forcing some out of the classroom, and to test them after next school year under the act would be unfair. Read more.

by Caroline Beck and Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Supreme Court Ruling on Online Sales Tax Could Benefit Schools Statewide

A recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling will mean millions of dollars in online sales tax revenue for Morgan County schools and is a win for schools statewide, supporters say. Some expect more local legislation similar to the north Alabama county’s in the next legislative session. The court earlier this month upheld the constitutionality of a 2019 local law, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, that directed the bulk of revenue from online sales tax, referred to as SSUT, received by the county commission to the county’s public schools. Orr said the local bill mirrored that of the county’s existing bricks-and-mortar sales tax distribution — revenue that has dipped as more people shop online. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

State Lawmakers Expect Multiple Special Sessions

MONTGOMERY — Alabama lawmakers could be called back to the State House this year for multiple special sessions on various issues, but the likely first topic will be the distribution of billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds. That American Rescue Plan Act money will start flowing to the state as soon as this month, but the state’s share can’t be distributed to agencies or dedicated to specific causes until it goes through an allocation process similar to the annual General Fund budgets. Alabama Daily News previously reported the state, including local governments, will receive more than $4 billion in this round of relief approved in March. Read more.

by Caroline Beck and Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Legislative Briefs: Sexual Assault Survivor Rights, Yoga, Curbside Voting Bills Win Approval

The Alabama Legislature on Monday approved a bill setting out rights for victims of sexual assauts. Among the provisions of the Sexual Assault Survivor "Bill of Rights" are requirements on how long law enforcement must preserve evidence in sexual assault cases. Lawmakers also approved a bill that would allow the practice of yoga n public schools, but limit the use of any changing and mantras and ban the teaching of the greeting "namaste." Other action by lawmakers on the final day of the 2021 regular session included approval of bills that would ban curbside voting in Alabama and delay the student holdback provision under the 2019 Literacy Act. Read more.

by Alabama Daily News

Legislature Removes State Income Tax on Restaurants’ Federal Rescue Money

MONTGOMERY -- In one of its final moves of the 2021 session, the Alabama Legislature Monday ensured that restaurant owners don’t have to pay state income taxes on the newest round of COVID-19 federal relief. Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, earlier in the session sponsored a bill to clarify the tax code to ensure restaurant grants in the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan don’t raise the state income tax liability for owners. It also would have untaxed the plan’s enhanced child tax credit, earned income tax credit and child and dependent care tax credit. But that bill didn’t move because legislative leaders said it could wait until a special session later this year, or even early in the 2022 session. Roberts instead got the restaurant language on the existing House Bill 227, which allows for an income tax credit for the construction of storm shelters. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

No Gambling or Transgender Bills on the Last Day: Abortion Bill Passes the Legislature

The Legislature started its session with high hopes that this would be the year a gambling bill would pass, finally. But that hope officially died Monday night when the legislative session ended. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Bill to Change Governor’s Control of State of Emergency Orders Dies

MONTGOMERY -- A bill that would have shortened state of emergency orders and given the Legislature a say in extending them died Monday, the final day of the legislative session. Senate Bill 97 from Sen. Tom Whatley, R-Auburn, would have limited state of emergency orders, such as those issued since last spring in response to the Coronavirus, to 45 days, with a possible 120-day extension. But any extension after that would have had to be approved by a joint resolution from the Legislature. Rep. Mike Holmes, R-Wetumpka, sponsored the bill in the House and told members on Monday that the bill was not about limiting the governor’s power but allowing Alabamians more say into wide, sweeping actions taken in state-of-emergency orders. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

‘Vaccine Passports’ Ban Passes Final Vote

MONTGOMERY — A bill that would prohibit the issuance of state or local government “vaccine passports” passed its final vote Thursday. Senate Bill 267 from Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, and Rep. Paul Lee, R-Dothan, says state and local governments “may not require an individual to receive an immunization or present documentation of an immunization as a condition for receiving any government benefit or service or for entry into a government building.” The bill also says an entity or individual doing business in Alabama can’t refuse to provide goods or services or refuse admission or entry to anyone based on their immunization status or lack of documentation. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News