April 29, 2024 Group Watch: House Passes Bill Expanding Ban on Discussion of LGBTQ Topics in Public Schools

Similar to the changes possibly coming to the state’s obscenity law, a 2022 law that bans teachers from teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity will be expanded if the bill passed by the House last week becomes law. The current ban applies from kindergarten through 5th grade; the new bill would extend the ban through 8^th grade. The bill was initially written to extend the prohibition through the 12^th grade, but an amendment moved it back down to 8^th grade. After a lengthy discussion, the House approved the bill with amendment, 74-25. 

April 29, 2024 Group Watch: OMCO Solar Plans Huntsville Manufacturing Facility With 70 Jobs

Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair announced that Phoenix, Arizona-based OMCO Solar, one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of steel structures for solar panels, plans to invest more than $10 million in its second production facility in Alabama, creating 70 full-time jobs in Limestone County. Founded in 1955, OMCO is the largest custom roll former in the United States, producing highly engineered, custom roll-formed shapes for many applications across a wide range of industries. It is also the nation’s premier manufacturer of solar trackers, devices that direct panels towards the sun and fixed-tilt structures for solar arrays. 

April 29, 2024 Group Watch: Raytheon Investing $115 Million in Huntsville Expansion

Raytheon officially launched a $115-million expansion of its Redstone Raytheon Missile Integration Facility, which will increase the factory’s space for integrating and delivering on critical defense programs by more than 50%. The 26,000-square-foot expansion project will also bring an estimated 185 new jobs to the Huntsville site, growing the employee footprint of Raytheon and its parent company RTX in Alabama to more than 2,200 people. Raytheon’s Redstone facility is the final integration point for many missile programs for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Navy and other defense customers.

April 22, 2024 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

There was some strong consensus on several bills last week, including the Education Trust Fund budget, which passed the House on an almost-unanimous vote. A bill easing regulations on religious exemptions for vaccines passed the Senate on a 24-5 vote. And a bill package aiming to increase workforce participation in the state passed without a single no vote.

And once again, Alabama’s lauded Pre-K program got top marks, receiving 10 out of 10 on quality benchmarks; Alabama is one of only five states in the country to meet these quality standards.

Find more details and info on other important #alpolitics news below.

April 22, 2024 Group Watch: Tweet of the Week

@ALEAprotects
April 18
News we love! After some unfortunate car trouble, ALEA Sr. Trooper Sheldon Estes assigned to the Gadsden Post, made sure this young lady and her date made it to their senior walkout at prom on time!

April 22, 2024 Group Watch: Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play

Tuesday, 22nd day: 

• The House Ways and Means Education Committee approved a bill to establish the employer tax credit, childcare provider tax credit and nonprofit childcare provider tax credit. 
• The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee approved a Senate-passed a bill to establish the Alabama Workforce Pathways Act, to provide different pathways for earning a high school diploma based on future career paths. 
• The House Fiscal Responsibility Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to create the Alabama Growth Alliance.
• The House passed bills to provide appropriations from the Education Trust Fund for public education and other programs such as Talladega College, Tuskegee University, Southern Preparatory Academy and the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences in Demopolis. Select agencies received supplemental appropriations for the current fiscal year, and a separate bill provides for teacher pay raise. 
• In addition to appropriation bills, the House also passed bills to create the Alabama Adventure Awaits sales tax holiday and to provide that the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has the primary responsibility over regulation, licensing and enforcement of cannabis cultivation. 
• The Senate passed bills to require municipal officials to participate in training; to revise the appointment process for the Director of the Alabama Film Office; to provide compensation to full-time public education employees for on-the-job injuries; to revise the requirements for companies participating in the Alabama Jobs Act; and to condition employers’ eligibility for economic development incentives upon employers refraining from certain practices relating to labor organizations.

Wednesday, a committee day:

• The House Ways and Means Education Committee approved bills to repeal the Distressed Institution of Higher Education Revolving Loan Program and to rename the Alabama Film Office as the Alabama Entertainment Office.
• The House Education Policy Committee approved bills to require each local board of education to adopt an internet safety policy for district-owned devices used in school and to prohibit the use of certain platforms; and to increase the maximum compensation for members of local boards of education conditioned upon the completion of certain training requirements. 
• The House Commerce and Small Business Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to condition an employer’s eligibility for economic development incentives upon the employer refraining from certain practices relating to employee representation by a labor organization. 
• The Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee approved bills to require the Department of Youth Services to reimburse a county detention facility for housing a child once the child has been ordered to the custody of the Department of Youth Services. The committee approved both the House-passed and the version originating in the Senate.
• The Senate Education Policy Committee approved bills of origins in both chambers to provide a uniform system of procedural due process protections for students facing suspensions or expulsion for violating the student code of conduct or state law.

Thursday, 23rd day: 

• The House passed bills to provide for remote early enrollment of transferring military children with specials needs; to create the Alabama Workforce Housing Tax Credit; to establish the employer tax credit and childcare provider tax credit; and further define warrant procedures for certain digital, electronic or telephonic means of obtaining a warrant. 
• The Senate passed bills to establish the Alabama Workforce Transformation Act FY24 and the Alabama Workforce Pathways Act to allow different pathways for high school diplomas based on future career plans.

April 22, 2024 Group Watch: House Passes Education Trust Fund Budget

The Alabama House of Representatives approved a $9.3 billion Education Trust Fund budget, an increase of $550 million (6.25%) from the previous year, with a 2% pay increase for education employees. The budget bill passed on 102-1 vote. The Education Trust Fund funds public K-12 schools, colleges and universities and some state agencies. The 2025 fiscal year funding bill included:

• An increase of $110 million (7.1%) for colleges and universities.
• An increase of $196 million (4.3%) for the K-12 Foundation program.
• A $36 million increase (6.5%) for the Alabama Community College System.
• An increase to the State Department of Education of $147 million (27%).

Most of the Department of Education increase will go to specific programs such as English Learning, the Alabama Math Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) and the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI).

April 22, 2024 Group Watch: Senate Names Conference Committee Members for Gambling Legislation

The Alabama Senate appointed members of a conference committee to consider a proposed gambling package, more than two weeks after the House did so. The Senate conferees are Senator Greg Albritton; Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton and Senator Garlan Gudger. Singleton and Albritton have both been longtime supporters of gambling legislation. The House and Senate have been at odds about the scope of the proposed legislation. The House approved a bill that created a lottery; authorized casino gambling and sports betting in the state; and directed the governor to enter into a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, who operate casinos in Atmore, Montgomery and Wetumpka. The Senate passed a stripped-down version that jettisoned everything except the lottery and the compact. Singleton said he was optimistic that something could be worked out, but it might not please all of the parties. He thinks that whatever passes will be approved by the voters.

April 22, 2024 Group Watch: House Passed “Working for Alabama” Bill Package

With support from Governor Ivey and both Republican and Democrat legislative leaders, the House passed the “Working for Alabama” bill package, a group of legislation designed to raise the state’s low workforce participation rate using education programs and tax credits to encourage the expansion of housing and childcare, the lack of which could be contributing to low participation.  All parts of the package passed without a dissenting vote. Read more here.

April 22, 2024 Group Watch: Senate Passes Bill Loosening Vaccine Regulations

The Alabama Senate approved a bill that would loosen regulations for religious exemptions for vaccines in schools. The bill, sponsored by Senator Arthur Orr, passed 24-5. The bill would allow parents who have a religious objection to vaccination to declare that in a statement to the local board of education. The parent would not have to provide evidence or win the approval of the board. He said that employees at the Department of Health are not supposed to question people about their religious beliefs, though some do. Health officials have expressed concerns about declining vaccination rates in the state. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rate in Alabama hit 94% in 2022-23, down from 95% for the 2021-22 school year. The CDC says at least 95% of the population needs to be vaccinated against measles to create herd immunity. Nine out of 10 unvaccinated people become infected after being exposed to measles.