Deaf dog stolen from south Alabama home
On December 8th, Rags, a deaf Old English Sheepdog, was stolen from his home in Silver Hill, Alabama. Police in the city are investigating. (Video credit: Olivia Gardner)
Alabama lawmakers return to Montgomery on Tuesday to begin the 2024 legislative session. There are several issues to be aware of when starting a session.
education voucher
Republican Gov. Kay Ivey plans to sponsor a bill that would create education savings accounts, which typically allow parents to claim public money and use it for private school tuition and other eligible expenses. Mr. Ivey is scheduled to announce his own proposal in his State of the State address Tuesday night. “We remain committed to making it easier for Alabama families to send their children to the best schools of their choice,” the governor said last month.
Ivey did not specify the size of the proposal, but said it had to be a sustainable program. The bill introduced last year would have given parents $6,900 per child, but was criticized by opponents who estimated it would drain more than $500 million from public education. “We have to be very conscious of making smart fiscal choices,” Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed said Monday.
White House expresses ‘deep concern’ over execution of man with nitrogen gas in Alabama
gambling
The lottery and casino bill is expected to be reintroduced, but its prospects are uncertain. A group of House members is trying to negotiate a constitutional amendment to voters that would authorize the state lottery and some casino sites.
“I think a lot of Alabamians are ready to vote for the constitutional amendment,” House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said of the constitutional amendment. The Republican said the proposal would shut down illegal gambling operations spread across the state.
There has not been a statewide vote on gambling since Gov. Don Siegelman’s proposed lottery was defeated in 1999. The bill has stalled amid a mix of opposition and controversy over who would get a casino license. Republican Sen. Greg Albritton, who previously sponsored the bill, said the number of casino sites would be between six and eight. Albritton predicted that if gambling legislation is not passed this year, it will take another generation.
At the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, lawmakers are considering bills related to education, gambling, voting and more in preparation for the start of the 2024 legislative session. (Joe Soum/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Absentee voting restrictions
Republican lawmakers are renewing their push to make it a crime to help someone who is not a household member cast an absentee ballot. Republican supporters say the change is needed to combat voter fraud, while opponents say it’s an attempt to make it harder for people to vote.
The bill, by Republican Sen. Garlan Gudger of Cullman, would make it a misdemeanor for anyone who is not a household member or immediate family member to order, pre-fill, request, collect or deliver an absentee ballot. If paid, the fine increases to a felony. The bill provides exemptions for election officials and people who are blind, disabled, or illiterate. The bill is scheduled to be considered in committee on Wednesday.
Archive/Library
The Senate bill would replace the board that oversees the Alabama Department of Archives and History. The bill by Republican Sen. Chris Elliott would replace the current board with members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and legislative leaders. The bill, which will be introduced in committee Wednesday, comes after Elliott and other lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the department’s hosting of a lecture focused on LGBTQ history. Another bill would make it clear that city and county officials who appoint library commissioners have the power to remove them at any time.
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criminal justice
A variety of bills have been introduced that seek to reform Alabama’s criminal justice system and stiffen penalties for certain crimes. After the kidnapping hoax in Alabama garnered international attention, Republican Sen. April Weaver proposed a bill that would make it a felony to fabricate a kidnapping. Democratic Rep. Chris England of Tuscaloosa has proposed a bill that would allow certain inmates serving life sentences for crimes such as robbery to have their sentences reviewed under Alabama’s tough habitual offender laws.
Other bills
The governor and lawmakers are expected to propose a pay increase for state teachers. Republican Sen. Arthur Orr of Decatur said a bill would be introduced to strengthen the state’s weak public records laws. The bill is also expected to limit the power of state health officials to order pandemic-related closures. But the board that oversees the Department of Public Health is expected to finalize rules this month that would require the governor’s approval for such closures.
