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Connie Rowe points out that a lot can happen in Alabama politics in 16 months.
Between January 2016 and April 2017, a jury convicted House Speaker Mike Hubbard of ethics violations, leading to his removal from office. The Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore for the rest of his term. Gov. Robert Bentley resigned after pleading guilty to campaign finance violations.
So the Republican representative from Jasper isn’t quite ready to handicap the race to succeed House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, who announced Monday that he will not seek re-election to the chamber. The choice can’t take place until after the November 2022 elections and more than a year of drama on the state and national scene.
Alabama lawmakers return for final day of session
By KIM CHANDLERMay 15, 2021 GMT
MONTGOMERY, Ala, (AP) Alabama lawmakers return Monday for the final day of the legislative session with several large and controversial issues before them. The legislative session by law is limited to 30 meeting days and must conclude Monday.
Here is a look at where some key issues stand:
GENERAL FUND
One of the most pressing issues is to give final approval for the general fund budget for next fiscal year. The bill is in conference committee to work out differences between the House of Representatives and Alabama Senate. The $2.4 billion spending plan is up a modest 3.6% over this year. The budget includes a 2% pay raise for state employees.
Here is a look at where some key issues stand:
GENERAL FUND
One of the most pressing issues is to give final approval for the general fund budget for next fiscal year. The bill is in conference committee to work out differences between the House of Representatives and Alabama Senate. The $2.4 billion spending plan is up a modest 3.6% over this year. The budget includes a 2% pay raise for state employees.
CURBSIDE VOTING BAN
The bill by Republican Rep. Wes Allen of Troy would explicitly forbid election workers from setting up curbside areas for people to vote as well as forbid the setting up of voting machines outside a polling place. Curbside voting is a voting method that civil rights organizations had sought during the COVID-19 pandemic and have argued that it would make it easier for people to vote, particularly the elderly, disabled and parents with young children. The House approved the bill and it is awaiting a vote in the Senate.
A day-long push to get a comprehensive lottery and gambling push through the Alabama House of Representatives collapsed late Thursday, after an attempt to cut the bill down to a simple lottery by a group of Republicans failed. We ve been working on that bill, and there was a division in the membership on this, and there was not enough votes to pass it, House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, said late Thursday. We were looking at any other options on that, including a lottery bill.
The developments led to angry accusations from Democrats, who said Republicans locked them out of meetings and abruptly introduced the lottery bill late in the day on Thursday, and Republicans who said they worked in good faith to try to get something out for voters to approve.