The Legislature returned for a short workweek on Wednesday the 12th day of the 2012 regular session. They did not meet on Tuesday due to statewide primary elections. Here’s what they were up to. Wednesday: The House and Senate Constitution and Elections Committees postponed consideration of bills to restructure legislators’
Alabama mental health officials announced this week they have halted construction of a facility to replace Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa and are reconsidering a plan to close some existing psychiatric hospitals. The governor and his mental health commissioner told the state mental health board that they are lifting a September
The state’s unemployment rate has dropped to 7.8 percent, the lowest rate in more than three years. State officials announced this week that the January rate was down from 8 percent in December. It was the sixth straight monthly decline since Alabama’s rate peaked at 10 percent in July of
A recently published gambling industry study shows that Indian casinos in Alabama have been making money at a faster rate than any others in the nation. It is reported that Indian gaming grew 61 percent in 2010, giving the state the fastest growth rate among the 28 states with Indian
The Alabama Legislature returned to work on Tuesday, the 10th meeting day of the 2012 session and once again, had a full plate of bills to consider. Tuesday: The House passed a bill to provide tax credits to businesses that invest in or locate in low-income areas. The measure provides
This week Governor Robert Bentley announced plans to overhaul the state’s pension system for state employees and teachers. The plan calls for setting a retirement age of 62 for most employees and 56 for law enforcement officers. Current employees can retire after 25 years no matter their age. The governor
On Thursday, the 11th circuit Court of Appeals issued an order temporarily blocking a section of the state’s immigration law that says courts can’t enforce contracts involving illegal immigrants and another section that makes it a felony for an illegal immigrant to do business with the state. The court issued
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
Alabama regulators and public adjuster groups are lobbying state lawmakers to pass a bill that would, for the first time, allow the state to license and monitor the actions of public adjusters. Insurer groups, however, are objecting to the proposal that they say will increase costs. Unlike most states, Alabama
One of the state’s largest foreign-owned manufacturing companies, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, has sent a letter to all Hyundai vehicle dealerships in the United States warning them there might be protests at dealerships concerning Alabama’s new immigration law. A letter from the company’s vice president of national sales said the
