February 8, 2021 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House
The Alabama Legislature’s 2021 Regular Session began last week, with COVID-19 and education concerns taking center stage. Read on for a quick breakdown of House and Senate activity and see below for more details on the Governor’s plans and priorities for the coming months.
- Wednesday, February 3 (2nd legislative day and a committee day): The House State Government Committee approved several bills, including bills to allow certain municipalities to levy ad valorem tax for bonds to finance projects and use the proceeds for direct payments to finance capital improvements, and to exclude from competitive bids for local boards of education and governmental entities purchasing agreements to include leases and lease/purchase agreements. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a number of bills, including bills to extend immunity for certain entities from claims relating to contraction or exposure to coronavirus; to require redaction of contract information from court documents released to the public relating to elder persons, and to establish a program to allow medical cannabis for certain conditions. The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee approved a bill to authorize the amounts in a reserve account over $1 million of a solid waste program to be spent by a county or municipality for lawful purposes. The Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee approved a bill to authorize the deployment and installation of small wireless facilities and associated poles, towers and base stations on public rights-of-way.
- Thursday, February 4 (3rd legislative day): The House passed bills to renew and extend economic development incentives; to further provide for the appropriation of federal funds for the Alabama Rental Assistance Fund to the Department, and to authorize certain municipalities to levy ad valorem tax for bonds to finance projects and use the proceeds for direct payments to finance capital improvements. The Senate passed a number of bills, including bills to provide immunity for certain entities from claims relating to contraction of or exposure to coronavirus; to provide an exemption from sales and use tax for certain entities; to authorize the installation and deployment of small wireless facilities and associated poles, towers and base stations on the right-of-way, and to provide for the determination of cost to include student growth as an allowable allowance for students under the School Foundation Program Fund.
The House and Senate will reconvene on Tuesday, February 9 at 1 PM and 2 PM, respectively.
