June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Legislature Passes Largest Tax Cut in AL History

State lawmakers reached a final agreement on how to cut the grocery tax. As prices have risen across the country, Alabama’s 4-percent sales tax on food has remained the same, leaving families with the compounded expense – until now. Thanks to the state’s historic $3 billion budget surplus, legislators passed a historic measure to cut the tax in half. The tax cut measure headed to Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk is a 1-percent cut this year followed by an additional 1-percent reduction next year, if education revenue stays consistent. The tax cut would reduce revenue in the Education Trust Fund by $318 million annually once fully implemented. However, that money will go back to the taxpayers at the grocery store. A movement to eliminate the grocery tax in the state has been ongoing for more than 20 years.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: New Bill Strengthens Retail Theft Laws

The Retail Theft Crime Prevention Act passed by the Alabama legislature last week and headed to Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk will add teeth to existing retail theft laws and help Alabama prosecute retail crimes and punish the criminals. The bill outlines two new offenses: retail theft and organized retail theft. The first addresses obscure shoplifting moves such as altering price tags and stealing shopping carts. The second, organized retail theft, includes offenses ranging from groups manipulating antitheft devices to using stolen or rental vehicles for theft. The act says retail theft is committed when a person uses various means to steal, including concealing merchandise, altering or removing price tags, failing to scan items or otherwise pay for items at self-checkout registers, and other means. Under the law, 1^st degree retail theft would be defined as theft of goods in excess of $2,500, or theft of one or more items totaling $1,000 or more within a 180-day period. It also includes the theft of any firearm, regardless of its value. Theft of goods exceeding $500 but not exceeding $2,500 is considered 2^nd degree theft. Some of the felony theft charges will be punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Anti-Vaping Bill Hits Opposition, Stalls in Senate

An anti-vaping bill with bi-partisan support also has stiff opposition, which led to it being carried over by the Senate on Thursday. The bill seeks to keep kids and teens from vaping by making vaping illegal for anyone under 21 and creating a state registry of those who sell vaping products to aid in enforcement. Those in favor of the legislation believe it will curtail teen vaping, but several prominent health organizations, including the Alabama Cancer Action Network, have spoken out against it and urged lawmakers to give it a “no” vote. Read more here.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Legislature Passes Parental Rights Bill

A bill to ensure parents retain the right to raise their children unanimously passed the Senate after passing the House by an overwhelming majority. Representative Kenneth Pashal (R-Pelham), the bill’s House sponsor, called parental rights “natural rights that can’t be taken by government.” It now awaits Governor Ivey’s signature. Read more here.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: The Alabama Property Protection Act is Now Law

Governor Ivey has signed The Alabama Property Protection Act into law. It prohibits the governments of China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from purchasing certain property in the state, including property used for agriculture or forestry or property that is within 10 miles of military installations and other critical infrastructure, which includes airports, seaports, power plants, water and wastewater treatment plants, gas terminals and certain other facilities. ”Foreign principals of concern” are identified as the governments, government officials, political parties and political party members of the “foreign countries of concern,” which are listed as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. “Foreign principals of concern” also include any country or government on the sanctions list of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: New AL Law Bans Transgender Women from Collegiate Female Sports

Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation that will ban transgender women from playing on female sports teams in college, making Alabama the latest state to place restrictions on transgender athletes. She says the law is about “fairness,” and the legislation expands the state’s existing 2021 ban on transgender athletes on K-12 sports teams to include college teams. Students assigned one sex at birth would be prohibited from playing under a different gender identity, even after undergoing hormone treatment. This bill is part of a wave of restrictions on transgender people being pushed in conservative states. At least 20 states have now imposed restrictions on transgender athletes at the K-12 or collegiate level, or both. Alabama lawmakers approved bills restricting bathroom and locker room usage and a ban on the use of gender-affirming hormones and puberty blockers to treat transgender minors. A judge has temporarily blocked the medication ban from taking effect while a court challenge goes forward.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Governor Ivey Points to Consistent Pay Raises for Teachers 

Last week, Governor Ivey touted her support of Alabama’s hard-working teachers pointing to the 2-percent pay raise included in the budget she signed and noting that when added to pay raises she’s supported in previous years, the  increase in pay for teachers during her time as governor totals 15 percent. Read her statement here.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Coach Saban Leads SEC Group on D.C. Lobbying Visit 

University of Alabama’s Coach Nick Saban is tackling the issue of collegiate athletes being paid for usage of their “name, image and likeness” in endorsements. He’ll be leading a group of other SEC coaches, athletic directors and others on a trip to Washington D.C. where they’ll ask Congress for assistance in regulating and managing athlete compensation.  Read more here.

June 5, 2023 Group Watch: Legislature Approves Higher Ed Loan Program

The Alabama Legislature passed The Distressed Institutions of Higher Education Revolving Loan Program Fund last week, which could rescue Birmingham-Southern College and other financially strained colleges in the state. The bill to provide temporary aid now awaits Gov.Ivey’s signature. According to the bill, to qualify for a loan, an institution – any public or private college or university in Alabama – must have been in operation in Alabama for more than 50 years, have a substantial impact on its local community and be in danger of closing due to financial distress. It must continue operations, commit to fundraising efforts during the loan period and have assets as collateral. The State Treasurer will be in charge of determining total loan amounts, repayment interest rates and disbursement timings. The state will also conduct yearly audits of loan recipients to evaluate their financial health.

May 29, 2023 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

After midnight last Thursday (so technically on Friday), The Alabama Legislature passed both the General Fund Budget and the Education Fund Budget, getting two of its most important jobs done as the 2023 regular session nears its end.

Tax legislation also was also on the agenda last week, with a tax rebate for Alabamians passing, and a bill to gradually lower the state sales tax on food was passed in the House and is expected to pass the Senate too.  

Read more on all this and other trending #alpolitics topics below.

The House and Senate will reconvene on Wednesday, May 31 .