Alabama Legislature

‘Gut Check’ Session Ends, Here’s What They Did

MONTGOMERY – Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Birmingham, has been an Alabama lawmaker since 1966. "I've been through more sessions that anybody here, and this is one of the toughest sessions ever," Waggoner said Friday evening as legislators ended the annual law-making stint that began March 5. "I mean, we're talking lottery, gasoline tax, medical marijuana, abortion. It has been a gut check this year, it really has, as far as tough, impactful votes. But as far as high-profile issues, this session probably ranks No. 1 in my career." Read more.

Education Budget, Medical Marijuana Commission Pass on Legislators’ Last Day in Montgomery

MONTGOMERY — On the last day of the legislative session, lawmakers approved a record education budget, took a step toward medical marijuana legalization and sent to Alabama voters the decision of whether to scrap the elected state school board in favor of a governor-appointed commission. After debates and a change, a bill to give new teachers in the state more generous benefits died in the House without a vote. Legislators ended this year’s regular session Friday, although they are expecting to be called back in the fall for a special session on prisons. Read about the biggest bills that passed and died on the last day.

Literacy, Reading Proficiency, Free Speech and Budget Bills Win Legislative Approval

MONTGOMERY -- Bills to improve student literacy and hold back third-graders who can't read proficiently, define free speech on college campuses, and allocate the state's $2.1 billion General Fund budget received final passage Thursday as lawmakers wind down their 2019 legislative session. Friday is likely the last day of the session, and some major legislation is still pending, including the state's education budget. Lawmakers from both chambers will meet Friday morning to work out differences in the $7.1 billion education budget, and a final vote is expected by the end of the day. Read more.

Legislature Moves to Regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers

MONTGOMERY -- Legislation aimed at reining in pharmacy benefit managers to save consumers money passed the House by a 101-0 vote Thursday and now heads to Gov. Kay Ivey's desk for her signature. Senate Bill 73, dubbed the Alabama Pharmacy Benefit Managers Licensure and Regulation Act, was sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, and passed the Senate on May 15 by a 27-0 vote. The bill requires pharmacy benefit managers to register with the Alabama Department of Insurance, and outlaws gag clauses that keep pharmacists from telling consumers about cheaper options for prescription drugs and claw backs the require them to charge more for medication. Read more.

‘Difficult’ Budget Negotiations Ongoing

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama General Fund will pay for a health insurance program for low-income children, Senate leaders said Wednesday. But there are still other details in the $2.1 billion budget to be worked out Thursday, which might be the last day of this legislative session. Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said Wednesday evening that the court system would not receive money from an Alabama Department of Transportation fund, a budget transfer that has happened for the past 10 years. Read more.

Lawmakers Boost Money for Prisons and Will Return in the Fall to Take on Pervasive Problems

As the Alabama Legislature winds down its regular session, state lawmakers are on track to boost the budget for the state's prisons, they have approved a pay raise for correctional officers, and they expect to meet again in the fall to address other issues in a system that is still overcrowded, under-resourced and under the watchful eye of a federal judge and the U.S. Justice Department. “There are lot of different issues, from mental health to overcrowding, the pay, to facilities,” said Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston. Friday is likely to be the last day of the regular session. On Wednesday, Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law a bill that will give correctional officers “a one-time two-step salary increase,” and expand bonus opportunities for Department of Corrections employees. The measure takes effect Oct. 1, the first day of fiscal 2020. Over the past few years, the Department of Corrections has seen its budgets increase by small amounts. For fiscal 2020, it expects to have a budget of $601 million. Most of that money would come from the state General Fund, which pays for most of state government’s non-educational functions. The Legislature has approved and sent to the governor a General Fund budget that is slated to include money to cover the pay increase signed into law by Ivey, give money to hire and train 500 new corrections officers during fiscal 2020 and improve the prison system’s mental health services. Read more. BirminghamWatch, in collaboration with B-Metro Magazine, documented the conditions under which correctional officers work for a story last year:

Guarded: Alabama Correctional Officers Work Long Hours in Dangerous Conditions for Low Pay – and There Aren’t Nearly Enough of Them.

Medical Marijuana Study Commission Could be Voted on Thursday

The Alabama Legislature's new version of a medical marijuana bill wouldn't legalize its use but instead would set up a study commission to make recommendations for the 2020 legislative session.

Fantasy Sports Bill Passed by Legislators

MONTGOMERY – The Legislature gave final approval Tuesday to a bill that would allow Alabamians to wager on fantasy sports. Sponsored by Rep. Kyle South, R-Fayette, House Bill 361 would allow adults to place bets on fantasy sports through sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings. The bill passed the House on May 8 by a vote of 74-22. But the Senate amended it to raise the tax rate on operators. The House approved that amendment Tuesday, and it now goes to the governor. Read more.

$7.1 Billion Education Budget Clears House, Varies From Senate Version

The Alabama House of Representatives approved a $7.1 billion education budget Tuesday, but its final passage still depends on agreement with the Senate on several points, including health insurance for low-income children. House education budget chairman Rep. Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, told his colleagues the proposed budget, a nearly $500,000,000 increase over the current budget, would not fix all of the state’s education problems but is part of the equation. “This is a positive budget for the state,” Poole said. It was approved 99 to 0 with four abstentions. Read more.

Ivey: Bill for Appointed K-12 Board of Education Would Fix “Broken” Governance

Legislation to potentially replace Alabama’s elected K-12 board of education with a commission of governor appointees will be voted on Tuesday in a Senate committee. The proposed constitutional amendment from Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, has the support of Gov. Kay Ivey, who is also president of board of education. “As we know all too well, statistic after statistic — and study after study — shows that our children are not getting the best education possible or even the best education that is available,” Ivey said in a letter to board members last week. Read more.