The Charter School bill, Senate Bill 513, sponsored by Senator Dick Brewbaker of Pike Road is still being considered in the Senate. If you haven't already, please call your State Senator and let them know you want parents and students to have more choice in Alabama and ask them to support this bill. Despite opposition by AEA union boss Henry Mabry and obstructive tactics by some Democrats, the truth about the need for this reforming legislation is becoming more apparent. I wanted to share an article by the Press Register editorial board that helps shed light on what is and isn't true about this important legislation - Charter Schools Bill Not a Hijacking.
Here's what else is going on in Montgomery:
House Republican Update
On
Tuesday, the House passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Jack Williams, of
Vestavia Hills, in the House and Sen. Slade Blackwell, of Mountain
Brook, in the Senate, which will create the Optional Network Election for Single Point Online Transaction,
or ONE SPOT. This single-point filing system will allow businesses to
file electronically to every municipality and county where they do
business. The Senate concurred with some slight changes on Thurday and
sent the bill to the Governor for his signature.The House passed Senate Bill 138 on Wednesday, sponsored by Senator Cam Ward of Alabaster. This bill will allow some civil lawsuits to be handled by privately paid judges in order to avoid the backlog in the state court system. This bill now heads to the Governor's desk.
Also on Wednesday, the House Ways and Means - General Fund Committee approved House Bill 68, sponsored by Rep. Mike Hill of Columbiana. This bill will raise court fees by around $23 million a year, including an extra $20 in court costs for traffic violations or other crimes, as well as for filing for divorce or other civil cases. The bill now goes to the full House.
Again on Wednesday, the House Committee on Commerce and Small Business, approved Senate Bill 400, sponsored by Greg Reed of Jasper. This bill will allow business owners to retain their property tax abatements if their business was destroyed by a natural disaster and must be relocated. This bill now heads to the full House for approval.
On Thursday, House Bill 600, Sponsored by Rep. Barry Moore of Enterprise, was passed by the House. Based on a proposal recommended by the Speaker's Commission on Job Creation, it will set up an independent entity to assist companies with a variety of credit needs, operating under the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, or ADECA. This will allow the state to strengthen and streamline ADECA’s existing business loan and grant programs, and allows for further state investment in the future. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Senate Republican Update
On Tuesday, the Senate passed Senate Bill 10,
sponsored by Sen. Greg Reed of Jasper, which will prohibit any
insurance plan offered through any potential Alabama health insurance
exchange from offering coverage for elective abortions. The bill passed
30 - 2 and now heads to the House.Also on Tuesday, the Senate passed House Bill 2, the 'No Texting While Driving' bill sponsored by Rep. Jim McClendon of Springville. Sailing through the Senate with a vote of 24 - 7, this bill previously passed the House 92 - 0. It will ban anyone who is operating a motor vehicle on a public road from using a cell phone or other wireless device to communicate via text message, email or instant message. The bill now heads to a conference committee to iron out small differences between the final versions passed in the House and Senate.
On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the revisions made to Alabama's illegal immigration bill, sponsored by Rep. Mickey Hammon of Decatur. One change made to strengthen the bill is to say that nothing would prohibit an officer from investigating other possible crimes during a traffic stop. The bill now goes to the full Senate on Tuesday. I encourage you to call your Senators and ask them to support these changes that will make it more enforceable for our law enforcement.
Also on Wednesday, the House Health Committee voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 196, The Healthy Infants Bill, sponsored by Gerald Dial of Lineville. This legislation will help ensure that pre-mature infants born in Alabama will receive a vaccine to prevent Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). This bill now heads to the Senate floor.
The legislative payraise repeal legislation, House Bill 276 sponsored by Mike Ball of Huntsville, came out of conference committee on Thursday and was approved by both chambers. This bill, if approved as a constitutional amendment by a vote of the people, will repeal the 2007 payraise implemented by a Democrat led legislature and tie the legislators' salaries to the median income of Alabama.
Governor's Desk
Legislation sponsored by Sen. Paul Bussman of Cullman that will shift oversight of prefabricated storm shelters to the Alabama Emergency Managment Agency was signed into law by Governor Bentley on Wednesday. The bill was passed unanimously by both the House and Senate before being sent to the Governor's desk.
A 'peeping Tom' bill sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr of Decatur was signed into law by Governor Bentley on Wednesday, This new law will increase the penalty of this criminal surveillance from a Class B midsemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor and a felony for repeat offenders.
On Thursday afternoon, the Governor signed House Bill 436 into law, creating a sales tax holiday for severe weather preparedness items. Sponsored by Rep. Bill Poole of Tuscaloosa, the tax holiday this bill creates comes from a key recommendation of Governor Bentley’s Tornado Recovery Action Council.
In Case You Missed It
Illegal immigration remains a hot topic, not only in Alabama, but throughout the country. This week the United States Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the Arizona illegal immigration law, which is similar to our own HB56. The fate of the Arizona bill could weigh heavily into the future of ours, so it's good news that SCOTUS seems inclined to uphold the Arizona law. Read more about it in an article by the Associated Press and at The Hill.
