March 14, 2022 Group Watch: Legislature Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play

• The House passed a number of bills of local application only and general bills relating to education funding, including the $8.1 billion education budget for FY23 and several appropriations for non-state entities such as Lyman Ward Military Academy and Tuskegee University. It also approved a Senate-passed bill to provide a one-time lump sum bonus for retired educators and a bill to provide a four-percent pay raise for public education employees.
• The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee approved several bills, including bills to specify that a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist also practices in coordination with a licensed physician, podiatrist or dentist; to add two members to the Alabama Justice Information Commission; and to prohibit the state and any of its political subdivisions or agencies from teaching certain concepts relating to race, sex or religion in certain training.
• The Senate became embroiled in debate over a bill to prohibit state enforcement of certain federal firearm statues and adjourned without taking a vote.

• The House Ways and Means Education Committee approved a bill to require the State Board of Education to phase in the employment of auxiliary teachers to assist classroom teachers with instructional and noninstructional activities in all public schools in the state providing instruction in grades K-3.
• The House Ways and Means General Fund Committee approved several bills dealing with direct appropriations, supplemental appropriations to certain agencies and the general fund budget for FY23. It also approved a four-percent pay increase for state workers and a one- time lump sum bonus for retired state workers.
• The House passed several bills of local application only and general bills to require every judicial circuit to establish a community punishment and corrections program and to exempt from state income tax a portion of income from deferred compensation plans.
• The Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee approved a bill to reduce the business privilege tax through a phase-out over several years.
• The Senate Tourism Committee approved two bills designed to establish a state lottery, approve and regulate casinos and establish a state gaming commission.
• The Senate approved House-passed bills to authorize the board of trustees at the University of West Alabama to conduct certain meetings by video or telephone conference and to require the establishment and maintenance of a registry for individuals convicted of certain crimes against elders. They also approved bills to establish the Alabama Airport Economic and Infrastructure Program and to create an exception for an individual to test for the presence of certain drugs.

• The House Education Policy Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to establish the Alabama Numeracy Act and to prohibit the use of Common Core State Standards in public K-12 schools.
• The House passed bills of local application only and general bills that include bills to phase out the business privilege tax to help small business persons, to provide for the issuance of garnishment writs by regular mail or certified mail, and to allow the Prepaid Affordable College Tuition program board to meet electronically.
• The House joined the Senate in concurrence with a conference committee report on the permitless concealed pistol legislation.
• The Senate Education Policy Committee approved bills to further provide for the operational and categorical funding of public charter schools in the state and to require each local board of education and independent school system in the state, subject to appropriations by the legislature, to employ a mental health service coordinator.
• The Senate completed work on a 12 bill Special Order, which included the passage of bills to phase out the business privilege tax; to authorize local governments to expend certain monies for broadband infrastructure; to further provide for virtual hearings in criminal cases; and to authorize the State Health Officer to issue orders with the full force of law if approved by the governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

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