March 28, 2022 Group Watch: Legislature Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play

• The House State Government Committee approved a bill to prohibit the teaching of certain concepts relating to race, sex or religion in certain training.
• The House passed the General fund budget for most state agencies as well as accompanying appropriations bills to provide for a 4-percent raise for state workers, a one-time bonus for retirees, the Children First Trust Fund and the Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
• The Senate Local Legislation Committee passed a number of bills of local application only.
• The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee approved several bills, including a bill to further provide for the authority of the Attorney General to enter into settlement agreements.
• The Senate debated several bills before carrying them over but voted affirmatively on several bills, including bills to allow the Alabama Athlete Agents Commission to meet virtually under certain conditions; to authorize county tax assessors to defend the state in tax valuation disputes; and to authorize the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to apply for wiretapping permission in drug kingpin cases.

• The House Ways and Means General Fund Committee approved bills to increase the per-semester loan repayment award for qualified math and science teachers and a Senate-passed bill to phase out the business privilege tax.
• The House State Government Committee approved a bill relating to the Board of Optometric Scholarship Awards to allow the board to conduct meetings remotely and to expand the scholarship program to include loans to further optometric training.
• The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee approved a bill to provide prohibitions on the enforcement of certain presidential executive orders that provide certain limitations or restrictions on the ownership, use or possession of firearms and accessories and ammunition.
• The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee approved a bill to establish the Alabama Education Lottery Gambling Commission for the regulation of the Alabama Education Lottery.
• The Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee approved a House-passed bill to phase out the business privilege tax.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill to limit the amount of money a municipality may retain from fines and penalties generated from traffic tickets.

• The House passed a number of bills of local application only before taking up a three-bill package relating to elections, absentee voting and poll watchers. It also passed general bills to prevent the teaching of divisive concepts; to further provide for the licensing and regulation of cemetery authorities and cemeteries; to further provide for the determination of compensation claims by the Crime Victims Compensation Commission; and to authorize meetings of governmental bodies by virtual means.
• The Senate passed a large number of local bills by lunchtime, took a break, and then returned to pass several general bills, including final passage of House-passed bills to establish consistency in the process of commitment of individuals with mental illnesses and to establish the state Seal of Biliteracy to recognize the proficiency in English and at least one world language, including American sign language. It also approved bills to authorize online public auctions for collection of delinquent property taxes and to further provide for operational and categorical funding of public charter schools.

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