The state’s budgets as well as a state lottery remain up in the air as the Alabama Legislature heads into the final three days of the 2024 regular session.
Both budgets moved this week. The education budget is headed for a conference committee, while the House sent the General Fund budget back to the Senate for concurrence or conference. The House cleared a revised lottery/gambling package, which the Senate carried over to search for a single vote to get it to the governor.
The childcare and housing tax credits that are part of the “Working for Alabama” package received committee approval this week, but await final floor action in the remaining days of the session..
The Alabama House will reconvene at 1 p.m. and the Senate at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, for the 28th legislative day of the 30-day regular session.
For legislative and other news of relevance to retailers,
read This Week in Retail News.
THIS WEEK IN RETAIL NEWS
IN LIMBO
Lottery/gambling package stalls in Senate; 7% of each ticket sold goes to lottery retailers (alabamaretail.org)
ENACTED
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signs bill to keep Joe Biden on November ballot (cnn.com)
AWAITING GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE
Increased civil and criminal child labor law penalties await governor’s signature to become law (alabamaretail.org)
Ban on food products made from cultured animal cells receives final OK (alabamaretail.org)
Repeal of small corporations annual report requirement awaits governor’s signature to become law (alabamaretail.org)
Senate rewrites, House concurs in bill aligning overtime hours eligible for income tax exemption to Fair Labor Standards Act/National Labor Railway Act; bill on way to the governor (alabamaretail.org)
IN CONFERENCE
House sends education budget, supplemental spending and technology fund to conference committee (aldailynews.com)
Conference committee considers withholding future economic incentives for businesses that voluntarily recognize unions (alabamaretail.org)
AWAITING ACTION IN FINAL DAYS
New $3.4 billion Alabama budget increases spending on prisons, Medicaid, mental health (al.com)
Senate panel preserves House-passed employer and facility childcare tax credits (alabamaretail.org)
Baby, maternity & menstrual exemption would end in fall of 2029 under version approved by Senate budget committee (alabamaretail.org)
NEW STATEHOUSE UPDATE
New Alabama State House design documents show expanded footprint, amenities (aldailynews.com)
FEDERAL
Credit Card Competition Act would now save merchants and consumers over $16 billion a year (merchantspaymentscoalition.com)
Previous Alabama Retail Reports
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