As it did last week, controversial legislation took up most of the air time in the Alabama Legislature this week. The state’s budgets are expected to see some action next week. The Senate budget-writing committee Wednesday rewrote the state’s general…
In the Alabama Legislature’s 2019 regular session, bills aimed at reducing overcrowding in Alabama prisons would have increased Alabama’s felony shoplifting threshold by 300% or 400%. Rep. Jim Hill, R-Moody, a former circuit judge in St. Clair County, introduced HB612,…
In the 7th week of the 2019 regular session, the Alabama Legislature tackled or tried to tackle such hot-button issues as medical marijuana, abortion and parole board reorganization. A state lottery and abortion are expected to be back on deck…
Legislation that would prevent food containing cultured animal tissue from being labeled as meat or a meat food product is on the agenda for the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee’s Wednesday meeting. The rise in popularity of alternate ways…
Legislation that would preempt local governments from banning, regulating or taxing plastic grocery bags and other single-use containers missed being debated by the Alabama Senate by one vote. In a procedural vote Tuesday, the Senate voted 17 to 13 to…
Starting Aug. 1, city councils and county commissions in wet areas can authorize Sunday alcohol sales by ordinance, resolution or referendum without first seeking legislative approval. On May 6, Gov. Kay Ivey signed Act No. 2019-100 by Rep. Reed Ingram,…
At the halfway mark for the Alabama Legislature’s 2019 regular session, both state budgets have passed at least one chamber. This week, the Alabama Senate approved a $7 billion education budget, while the House approved a $2.1 billion General Fund budget three weeks ago….
The Alabama Retail Association and more than 870 other business groups and individuals signed a letter delivered this week to all members of Congress in support of bipartisan legislation currently before the U.S. Senate and House. The Restoring Investments in…
In the fifth week of the Alabama Legislature’s 2019 regular session, legislation was introduced that would increase the felony shoplifting threshold in Alabama by 400%. More legislation on that subject could be forthcoming as the Legislature grapples with prison overcrowding and trying to…
This week, a Senate committee moved legislation that would allow police to arrest shoplifters inside Alabama stores; while a House committee voted to allow a one-time increase of up to 1% for the flat rate use tax collected by remote sellers in…