March 2, 2012 Group Watch: This Week in the Legislature
The Alabama Legislature returned to work on Tuesday the 8th meeting day of the 2012 regular session and had a productive week.
The House passed bills to increase the incentives offered to companies to film movies and television shows in Alabama and to insure that nationally certified teachers receive a $5,000 bonus. They also passed bills to tax leaves that are used to wrap cigars, to allow a veterinarian to work in a charity clinic to spay and neuter dogs and cats if a veterinarian does not own the clinic, and to allow overtime pay to be considered when calculating a state employee’s pension. The Senate considered, but took no action on bills to exempt Health Care Sharing Ministries from being classified as insurance providers and to have write-in votes in elections be treated like provisional ballots and counted at a later date. They passed bills to criminalize the theft of law enforcement or corrections officer’s weapon and to switch injury and death compensation for the Alabama National Guard and State Defense Force members from the State Military Department to the State Employee Injury Compensation Program.
On Wednesday, a committee day, the House Ways and Means-Education Committee approved a bill to exempt items used to treat diabetes from state, county and municipal sales taxes. The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill making the continuous sexual abuse of a person beginning when the victim is under the age of 16 a crime. The House Education Policy Committee approved a bill to allow public high schools to provide a course in religion as an elective. The House State Government committee approved bills to permit the United Ways of Alabama to participate in the State Employee Insurance program. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill to enhance penalties for criminals who use a computer to commit their crimes. The Senate Health Committee approved a bill to assure Medicaid patients have access to medicines for premature infants. They also held hearings on bills to ban indoor smoking in most places and to allow midwives to deliver babies. The senate Finance and taxation-Education Committee approved a bill to treat National Guard members as Alabama residents for the purposes of paying in-state tuition at state public colleges.
On Thursday, the 9th meeting day of the session, the Alabama Legislature gave final approval to a bill that offers tax incentives for creating new jobs in the coal industry. The House and Senate approved a conference committee version that now goes to the governor for his signature. This is the first of seven job incentive bills to achieve final passage. The House approved several bills of local application including a bill for Montgomery County that allows the probate judge to use recording fees for improvements to the record system. They also approved a general bill to regulate further the sale of metals such as copper and brass to recyclers. The measure passed after lengthy debate. The bill prohibits recyclers from buying from persons younger than 18 and provides criminal penalties for persons who damage certain metal items to include electric power equipment. The Senate passed several bills of local application before stalling on another local bill and adjourning. They passed no general bills on this day.
