This past week, the Alabama Legislature passed bills to provide for the continued operations of educational and non-educational functions of government and to assist local governments in functioning with autonomy and efficiency. Tuesday (23rd Day of Regular Session): The House Ways and Means Education Committee approved a substitute education budget that had passed the
Governor Robert Bentley and the Alabama Department of Commerce released a report that shows there were 392 projects in 2014 for a total of 18,137 jobs and investments of $3.37 billion. According to the report, Madison County lead the state in job creation with 3,418 new jobs. Other top job producing
This past week, the Alabama Legislature passed bills to assist local communities in addressing their needs, to further address improvements in education, and to assist local communities during the electoral process. Tuesday (21st Day of Regular Session): The Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee held a public hearing on a bill to allow a statewide
By: Holly K. Soffer, Esq., General Counsel, AAPIA Alabama is poised to license public insurance adjusters, and the legislature can’t act too quickly. Extreme weather has been plaguing many parts of the country, and home and business owners are often left feeling helpless and alone in the aftermath of these
Hundreds of people rallied at the State House in support of mental health services. The rally took place on Wednesday, after the House leadership pulled all the budget bills that will generate revenue from being voted on. The governor is predicting that more than 24,000 people will lose some or all
This past week, the Alabama Legislature passed bills to protect children from labor law abuse and proposed measures to address the state’s revenue woes and the state’s prisons problems. Tuesday (19th Day of Regular Session): The House passed bills to revise the formula for calculating the weekly benefit for individuals receiving unemployment; to revise
The House Republican Caucus in the Alabama House of Representatives proposed raising taxes on cigarettes, car titles and car rentals as part of a plan to fix the state budget. The overall plan calls for $200 million in revenue increases and cost reductions. Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh has proposed a lottery and
This past week, the Alabama Legislature passed bills to continue a number of state boards and commissions, to assist local government in functioning efficiently. Also, plans for possible expansion and regulation of gaming in the state were discussed. Tuesday (17th Day of Regular Session): The House gave final approval to Senate-passed bills for electric
Last week, it was revealed that the Poarch Creek tribal leaders approached state officials regarding a state bail-out to address the budget shortfall in exchange for a compact that would give the tribe exclusive gaming rights. The proposed compact would also require the tribe to pay the state a percentage
This past week in the Alabama Legislature, the Senate was deep in debate about Medicaid, the House passed bills related to voting and a bill allowing the medical use of marijuana made it through a Senate committee. Tuesday (15th Day of Regular Session): The Senate became mired in debate after passing a resolution asking
