Lottery, casinos and sports betting legislation that will require a vote of the people to become law cleared the Alabama House on Thursday.
The gaming package, which includes a 7% cut of each lottery ticket sold for retailers, now heads to the Senate. “The proposal passed by the House will clean up and crack down on rampant illegal gambling and will give Alabamians the opportunity to have their say on regulated, limited forms of gaming,” said the governor, adding the bills in their current form have her support.
A state sales tax exemption on diapers, baby formula, maternity clothes and menstrual products as well as a proposal to eliminate employment barriers for 14- and 15-year-olds received committee approval this week.
Next week, burdensome and costly legislation that would require restaurants and grocery stores to notify customers of the country of origin of fish and shrimp will be up for committee debate. Restaurant and grocery operators with concerns, contact your lawmakers!
The Alabama House will convene at 1 p.m. and at Senate at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, for the seventh day of the 2024 regular session.
For legislative and other news of relevance to retailers,
read This Week in Retail News.
THIS WEEK IN RETAIL NEWS
Gambling legislation one step closer to voters; 7% of each ticket sold goes to lottery retailers (alabamaretail.org)
Alabama House approves legislation establishing lottery, casino gambling, sports wagering (alabamareflector.com)
Senate sponsor of gaming bills optimistic about outlook (al.com)
Restaurant and grocer operators: Contact your senator and representative with concerns for fish/shrimp country-of-origin labeling for restaurants and grocery stores (alabamaretail.org)
Severe weather sales tax holiday coming the weekend of Feb. 23-25 (alabamaretail.org)
Committee strips local governments from proposed baby, maternity and menstrual product exemption; applies only to state tax (alabamaretail.org)
Senate panel OKs elimination of eligibility-to-work permission form from school administrators for 14- and 15-year-old to be employed (alabamaretail.org)
School choice substitute bill coming, will include fund cap (aldailynews.com)
Education savings accounts, other proposed tax deductions put grocery tax reduction further away, panel members say (alabamaretail.org)
Senate bill prohibiting food products from cultured animal cells heads to the House (alabamaretail.org)
More vape oversight on House Judiciary agenda; parental notification bill introduced (alabamaretail.org)
Pharmacy board would set ratio of technicians to compounding pharmacist under proposed bills (alabamaretail.org)
Lawyer enters not guilty plea for Rep. John Rogers who missed court for legislative session (al.com)
Secretary of State reminds Alabamians to register to vote for the March 5 primary (sos.alabama.gov)
U.S. senator calls on CEOs of Visa, Mastercard, United Airlines, and American Airlines to testify in April before the Judiciary Committee regarding credit card competition (judiciary.senate.gov)
Merchants support call for Visa & Mastercard CEO testimony at April 9 hearing on credit card ‘swipe’ fees (merchantspaymentscoalition.com)
Proposed legislation overhauls state health officer appointment, emergency orders (aldailynews.com)
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