Alabama Legislature

COVID-19 Protocols Limiting Public Access to Legislative Session

Watch the Legislature remotely The Legislature’s external website has been upgraded to add enhanced streaming video of all business in the House and Senate chambers, as well as the meetings and hearings in committee rooms around the State House. There now are video links to both chambers and five committee rooms. You can watch proceedings on the Legislature’s video services page. In-person public access to the legislative session that starts Tuesday will be severely limited, and State House leaders are asking people to watch the action online and communicate with representatives electronically. “We need public input in what we do down here because the things we do make decisions on taxpayer dollars and public welfare,” Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, said. But in-person interactions with House or Senate members will require appointments. “You won’t be able to just walk through the front door and go up to the seventh floor,” McCutcheon said. “What we’re telling people is, don’t come to the State House anticipating to meet someone unless you have made some phone calls and you have a prior appointment.” Read more. Read more on the legislative session, which begins Tuesday.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Ivey Signs Leases for Two Prisons, Part of $3 Billion Plan

Gov. Kay Ivey signed lease agreements for two men's prisons on Monday, part of her plan for three new facilities the state will lease for 30 years at an estimated total cost of about $3 billion. Construction for the two facilities is expected to begin later this year or the beginning of 2022. The two lease agreements are with entities of prison builder CoreCivic. They will construct, own and maintain the facilities. It will be the Alabama Department of Corrections that staffs and administers the prisons. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

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

Ivey to Sign Prison Lease Deal, Lawmakers Bristle at Higher Cost Revelation

Gov. Kay Ivey is set to sign lease agreements for two new men’s prisons as part of a long-negotiated plan to overhaul Alabama’s dilapidated corrections infrastructure. However, some state lawmakers are unhappy with the project after being told it will cost more each year than originally estimated. On a call with state lawmakers Friday, Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn said Ivey would soon sign contracts with CoreCivic, one of the developers bidding for the massive prison project. Asked to confirm the news, Ivey Press Secretary Gina Maiola said the contracts were scheduled to be signed on Monday. Read more.

by Todd Stacy and Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Lawmakers Cautious of ‘Uncertain Environment’ for 2022 Budgets

MONTGOMERY — Passing the state’s two budgets is the Legislature’s only constitutionally required action each year. But in a COVID-19-altered session that will be anything but regular, even the most basic of tasks could prove to be a challenge. “Realistically, hopefully we can keep the budgets on the fast track, but when you look at the budgets and the work that needs to be done, it’s probably middle to end of March, preferably the first of April, before we could get budgets out,” Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, said. Both Rep. Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, the education budget committee chairman in the House, and Sen. Greg Albritton, the Senate's General Fund committee chairman, have said lawmakers will be cautious in their 2022 spending plans. Albritton said the General Fund’s December revenue growth was essentially flat compared to December 2019. “I'm not suggesting level funding at this point, but I'm just concerned with the growth we've grown accustomed to and what we’re seeing now,” Albritton said. Read more. Read more on the upcoming legislative session.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Alabama’s 2021 Session Starts With Two-Week Focus

MONTGOMERY — Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday kickoff a legislative session like none they’ve seen before. COVID-19 protocols are limiting public access to the State House, the number of committees that can meet at a given time and, some say, the amount of bills lawmakers will be able to consider. This year's schedule is largely tentative, as leaders acknowledge a virus outbreak could disrupt the session at any time. For now, leaders are planning to meet the first two weeks of February to pass essential bills, then take a week-long break to reassess their COVID-19 protocols and priorities. Lawmakers are expected to focus on bills to: clarify that federal COVID relief funds received by Alabamians and their businesses aren’t subject to state taxes; provide entities with liability protection from COVID-related lawsuits; and revise, revamp and expand economic incentives offered to businesses. Read more. Read the pre-session interview with Gov. Kay Ivey, Ivey Wants 2% Pay Raise for Teachers and State Employees, and more on the upcoming legislative session.

by Mary Sell and Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Long-Awaited Incentives Package Filed Ahead of Session

Legislation filed to renew and revamp state tax incentives for Alabama businesses includes new credits for women- and minority-owned enterprises, increasing the cap on one of the state’s “backbone” incentives and giving a break to automakers who will ship vehicles out of the Port of Mobile. House Bill 192, expected to be a high priority for passage when the 2021 legislative session begins next week, was pre-filed Thursday. Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield this week discussed some of the details with Alabama Daily News. “The bill reestablishes and builds on the success of Alabama’s performance-driven incentive tools,” Canfield said. “And those are specifically being addressed in the Alabama Jobs Act, the Growing Alabama Credit and the Alabama Port Credit.” Read more. More stories on legislative budget hearings held before the session starts Tuesday. Ivey Wants 2% Pay Raise for Teachers and State Employees Law Enforcement Agencies Ask for Increased State Funding; General Fund Budget Looks OK Mental Health Services in Schools Improving, More Help Needed Lawmakers Discuss Education Pay Raises, a Focus on Literacy and Learning Loss

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Ivey Wants 2% Pay Raise for Teachers and State Employees

MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey said she wants to give pay raises to state employees and teachers in the next budget year. In an interview Thursday with Alabama Daily News, Ivey said her state budget proposals, which are set to be presented to lawmakers next week, will include the pay raises in both the General Fund and Education Trust Fund budgets. Read more.

by Todd Stacy, Alabama Daily News

Law Enforcement Agencies Ask for Increased State Funding; General Fund Budget Looks OK

MONTGOMERY — The outlook for the state's current General Fund budget is good, according to state lawmakers meeting this week for budget hearings. Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, who chairs the General Fund budget committee in the House of Representatives, said he did not expect any large COVID-19-caused cuts in the current budget as lawmakers begin to craft next year's budget in the upcoming legislative session. Lawmakers on Wednesday heard from law enforcement agency heads who were asking for budget increases to pay for more personnel and mitigating issues brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.

by Caroline Beck and Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Mental Health Services in Schools Improving, More Help Needed

Mental health support in Alabama schools has improved since the Alabama Legislatures appropriated $4.5 million toward the effort last year, but education leaders say more help is needed. Education and mental health leaders held a joint press conference in the State House Wednesday, announcing a renewed push for more funding from the Legislature.  “I think we have made major impacts, particularly under the situation right now with COVID, but I think there is still a dire need for services, collaboratives, as well as tools for these people to have,” Kay Warfield, the Alabama State Department of Education’s education administrator, said.   Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily New