Alabama lawmakers gaveled in their annual legislative session Feb. 7 and quickly pushed a handful of bills through committee, even as the full House and Senate have yet to pass any legislation.
Of the hundreds of bills filed, just over a half dozen have cleared committee and moved a step closer to the governor’s desk. Here is a look at some of the early proposals.
Senate Bill 60, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Allen, would block the removal of historical memorials at least 50 years old — a response to calls around the state to take down Confederacy-related monuments.
Senate Bill 16, from Sen. Dick Brewbaker, would end the practice of judicial override, stripping judges of the power to reject a jury’s recommendation for life or death in a capital case.
On the House side, Rep. Phil Williams’ House Bill 100 would deny state funding to institutions found violating immigration law. Rep. Rich Wingo’s House Bill 24 would shield adoption agencies that decline to place children in homes that conflict with their beliefs.
Other House measures include Rep. Arnold Mooney’s HB 95, allowing medical personnel to refuse any service that violates their conscience; Rep. Mack Butler’s HB 96, which would ban assisted suicide; and Rep. Matt Fridy’s HB 98, a proposed constitutional amendment enshrining the state’s ‘commitment to the unborn.’
Gov. Robert Bentley used his State of the State address to lay out his own priorities: an $800 million bond issue for new prisons, more funding for Alabama’s pre-K program, a 4 percent raise for state employees and — to some surprise — a repeal of the state grocery tax.
Lawmakers also must redraw several House and Senate districts after a court struck down maps that diluted minority voting power. But as always, the biggest lift will be passing the multibillion-dollar budget.
Sen. Tripp Pittman, who chairs the General Fund budget, said he was ‘as ready as you can be’ heading into the session. ‘We have to balance our budgets in Montgomery,’ he said. ‘We have a tough budget year, but we’ll get up there, and we’ll pass a budget.’
The Constitution limits the session to 30 meeting days spread across about four months, with May 22 the last possible day.