April 10, 2023 Group Watch: Bill Would Ban Smoking, Vaping In Vehicles With Children

The Alabama House approved legislation that would make it illegal to smoke or vape in a car where a child under the age of 14 is present. The bill will make it a secondary offense under Alabama law, carrying a penalty of up to $100 fine per violation. Legislation to ban smoking in a car with children was first presented by Rep. Rolanda Hollis in 2018 but did not include a prohibition on vaping. This version of the measure specifically outlines the law as a secondary offense, meaning it can not be the main reason for a traffic stop. 

April 10, 2023 Group Watch: Gov. Ivey Says She’ll Quickly Sign Fentanyl Bill

Following Thursday’s final passage of House Bill 1, which increases the penalties for fentanyl trafficking, Governor Ivey announced she looks forward to swiftly signing it into law. In a statement put out by her office, Ivey noted she believes that Alabama is setting the example for the nation by passing the bill with total bipartisan support. “The entire nation should take note of what we accomplished today in Alabama with the passage of House Bill 1, the bill to help combat the fentanyl crisis. Every member of the Legislature – Republican and Democrat – came together to pass this critical piece of legislation,” she said. “Combatting this deadly drug will continue to be a top priority for our Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and I will continue to do everything in my power to stop this drug from being a killer in Alabama.”

April 10, 2023 Group Watch: Aderholt Has New Chief of Staff

U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt’s office announced a change in his Chief of Staff position. Michael Lowry, who has worked with Aderholt as communications director, will be taking over the position from the retiring Kerry Knott. Knott, who joined Aderholt’s staff in 2019, said he is looking forward to retirement. Lowery said he is looking forward to starting his new role.

April 10, 2023 Group Watch: Tax Cuts Coming?

Thanks to a budget surplus, multiple bills that would cut taxes for Alabama residents have been filed by legislators this session. Gradually eliminating the sales tax on basic groceries is one that has garnered a lot of attention. It and other proposals, like lowering income tax rates, are currently being discussed and debated. The sticking point for all proposals will be if they are truly sustainable. Read more here.

April 10, 2023 Group Watch: Hospital Patient Info May Have Been Disclosed in Cyber Security “Incident”

A healthcare company that runs six hospitals in Alabama announced that patient and other information may have been disclosed during a cyber security incident. The company, whose hospitals in the state include Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham and Crestwood Medical Center in Huntsville, said a cybersecurity firm it contracts with to provide secure file transfer software became aware of the incident in late January. The healthcare company’s investigation so far has determined that personal information on patients, a limited number of employees and other individuals may have been disclosed to the unauthorized party.

April 10, 2023 Group Watch: Senate Passes Street-Racing Bill 

The Alabama Senate has passed a bill to crack down on street racing and dangerous driving stunts, legislation that comes in response to several incidents that caused death or injuries. The bill by Senator Rodger Smitherman would result in possible jail time for drivers who race or do risky driving maneuvers on public streets or in parking lots. Last year, Smitherman and other lawmakers met with Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin about the problems caused by street racing. The City of Birmingham set up speed bumps in downtown Birmingham to slow down street racers and stunt drivers. Smitherman’s bill provides for penalties that would help police keep the dangerous driving practices in check. A similar bill is pending in the House.

March 27, 2023 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

The Alabama Legislature returned to work last Tuesday for the 2^nd day of the 2023 regular session after wrapping up what is considered a successful special session the week prior.

Much got done, and there was lots of agreement. The bill making penalties for fentanyl possession harsher was unanimously passed by the House, and the entire Senate voted to protect family visitation rights at healthcare facilities in the state. And more good news for Alabama: February’s unemployment rate tied the record low. 

And this week, the legislature is taking spring break, so there’ll be no issue of Group Watch next week. Look for the next installment on April 10.

Read more on these topics and other #alpolitics happenings below.

The House and Senate will return from spring break on April 4 
at 1 pm and 2 pm respectively.

March 27, 2023 Group Watch: Tweet of the Week

@MattSimpson
March 25
105-0 with 101 co-sponsors. HB1 heads to the Senate #alpolitics

March 27, 2023 Group Watch: Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play

On Tuesday (2nd day of regular session): 

• The Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee approved several bills to increase compensation for certified local emergency management directors, circuit clerks in the court system, court-appointed attorneys in commitment proceedings and members of county boards of registrars. 
• The Senate County and Municipal Government Committee approved bills to prohibit a municipality from setting speed limits on county-maintained streets within its corporate limits and to provide prohibitions on the adoption of certain building codes requiring the installation of certain latent features in residential structures. 
• The Senate Education Policy Committee approved bills to establish Alabama as a member-state of the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, to include adrenal insufficiency as a condition covered by the Alabama Safe at Schools Act, and to require K-12 schools to install, maintain and operate video cameras in certain self-contained classrooms providing special education services.

On Wednesday (3rd day of regular session):

• The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill to require a mandatory minimum sentence for certain drug trafficking offenses. 
• The House Children and Senior Advocacy Committee approved bills to create the Alabama Minor Adoption Code and the Alabama Adult Adoption Code, and to authorize the use of up to eight weeks of sick leave for attending to an ill child for whom a petition for adoption has been filed and for attending to an adopted child. 
• The House Ways and Means General Fund Committee approved bills to increase the maximum compensation a Teachers Retirement System or Employees Retirement System retiree may earn from $30,000 to $52,000, and to increase the compensation for circuit clerks. 
• The House Ways and Means Committee approved a bill to increase the competitive bidding floor for city and county boards of education from $15,000 to $40,000 with further increases authorized based upon the consumer price index. 
• The House Education Policy Committee approved a bill to require local boards of education to develop and adopt interdistrict enrollment policies. 
• The Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee approved bills to eliminate the two-percent tax rate on the first $500 of taxable income for single persons and $1,000 for couples, and to exempt the first $10,000 of retirement income for those who are 65 years of age and older from state income tax. 
• The Senate State Governmental Affairs Committee approved a bill to require any approved electronic vote counting system used in an election to require the use of paper ballots.

On Thursday (4^th day of of regular session):

• The House passed bills to provide for mandatory minimum sentences for certain felony drug trafficking offenses and a bill to provide for jurisdictional and procedural requirements to streamline the adoption process in Alabama. 
• The Senate passed bills to reduce the amount of correctional incentive time prisoners may receive if they are involved in certain activities that result in a change in their classification; to further provide for the compensation for appointed attorneys in commitment proceeding; to amend the Safe Schools Act to require the State Board of Education to train certain school employees to administer injectable medications to students; and to require local boards of education to install and maintain video cameras in self-contained special education classrooms.

March 27, 2023 Group Watch: Bill to Impose Mandatory Prison for Fentanyl Clears First Hurdle

A bill to impose mandatory prison time for possessing one gram or more of pure fentanyl cleared its first hurdle in the legislature. The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill by Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, which takes aim at the drug that caused overdose deaths on almost a daily basis in Jefferson County in 2021 and is connected to about 70,000 deaths a year in the United States. Simpson’s message is clear and straightforward: If you are trafficking fentanyl in Alabama, we are coming after you, and there is going to be a steep price to pay in the form of serious prison time. The measure passed the full House on Thursday.