Last week, several House members put the breaks on HB 90, a bill that would prohibit the use of hand-held cell phones and other electronic devices while driving. They said they worry the bill is too broad. According to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. K. L. Brown (R-Jacksonville), it is designed to save lives. She noted that
Rep. Steve McMillan (R-Gulf Shores) recently introduced a bill that overrules several city and county statutes that prohibit dogs (other than service animals) from eating with their owners at restaurants. The bill lets restaurant owners decide their own rules and policies concerning the presence of dogs. There are some restrictions: The
With unanimous votes, two bills to create “Aniah’s Law” passed the House last week and now move to the Senate. Both bills allow judges increased discretion when deciding to grant or deny bail for people charged with violent crimes. “Aniah’s Law” is named for 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard, who was kidnapped
A bill that allows the use of automated license plate recognition systems on public highways by law enforcement agencies passed the Senate last week and now goes to the House. SB2 is sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and lets law enforcement use technology to record car license plates in an effort to track
The second week of the 2021 regular session started last Tuesday, and two issues were in the spotlight: gambling and prisons. Senator Del Marsh filed a bill that would allow Alabamians to vote on expanding gaming and establishing a lottery in the state. (You can read a summary of the gaming proposal here.) Meanwhile, several lawmakers questioned
The Alabama Senate voted unanimously on final passage of a bill to provide as much as $263 million in rental assistance funds to the people of Alabama. The bill provides federal funding from COVID-19 relief legislation passed by Congress in December 2020. The Alabama Housing Finance Authority will administer the
@RepBarryMoore Feb 12 Happy birthday to the Great Emancipator and 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln!
U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, a mainstay of Alabama politics for decades, has officially announced his plans to retire following the end of his current term in 2022. Shelby has served in congress for 42 years and said in his remarks that he would not seek a seventh term in the
All eyes were focused on first readings as a wide-ranging bill from Senator Del Marsh was introduced. Marsh’s bill, which is not final, will address the casino gambling issue, with limited expansion in certain parts of the state, and also includes a call for a lottery and the legalization of
The legislature has moved quickly and accomplished a lot already, but when it reconvenes next week, there’s still a lot to do, and there’s a long list of issues on the table, many of which are likely to stir up intense disagreements. Bills concerning guns, the governor’s emergency powers, marijuana,
