The Alabama Legislature convened last Tuesday and, as is often the case, education was a common thread in discussions and bills passed. On Tuesday (5th day of session): The House passed a number of bills of local application only and one general bill aimed at doing away with special elections for the U.S. Senate.
State officials recently announced that more people were working in Alabama in December than at any time on record. The state’s jobless rate was around 3.5 percent in December for the second straight month. The state added about 5,500 jobs from November to December to hit a new employment high: 2,093,063.
Senator Del Marsh’s (R-Anniston) tax bill passed the Senate last Thursday and goes to the House. It addresses the threshold for claiming the maximum exception for state income taxes and affects low- and middle-income earners, raising the threshold, resulting in savings on their overall tax bill.
Last Thursday, around 1,000 people rallied on the lawn of the Alabama Capitol, reminding parents that students have a choice outside traditional public schools. The landscape of education is changing, and many of those at the rally have been impacted by the options of school choice. Public charter schools have been
@SenTomWhatley: Jan 25 Just voted for a statewide TAX BREAK, SB76, #awesome #algop#alsenate #alpolitics
Neither snow nor (freezing) rain… The Alabama Legislature convened last Tuesday despite a forecast of snow, below-freezing temperatures and closed roads. While the weather did shut things down on Wednesday, plenty of work still got done. On Tuesday (3rd day of session): The House honored military veterans and proceeded to pass several bills
Alabama may become one of nearly a dozen mostly Republican states that are seeking a waiver from the federal government that could allow the state to institute work requirements for some of those who are on Medicaid. Governor Kay Ivey recently said that she has directed the Medicaid Commissioner to begin
@GovernorKayIvey Jan 16: “I’m saddened to hear of the death of state Rep. George Bandy. Since his election in 1994, he has been a dedicated public servant to the people of Lee and Russell counties. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow legislators during this difficult
Senator Cam Ward introduced a bill last week to increase the penalties for human trafficking in Alabama. Read more in Alabama Today.
And so it begins. The Alabama Legislature returned to the capital city last Tuesday for the start for the 2018 regular session. The highlight of the opening day was the State of the State address by Governor Ivey (see more below). On Wednesday, a committee day, lawmakers got to work. The House
