The end of the Alabama State Legislature’s regular session is nearing, with the final session scheduled for Monday, May 19.Both houses will be considering a large number of bills in that session, and legislators expect a long night next Monday.
This week the House of Representatives passed the general fund budget, which already has passed the Senate. Rep. Steve Hurst, D-Munford, said after much filibustering there was some good progress made.
Hurst said one of the better pieces of legislation passed dealt with an unemployment compensation bill which he said would help businesses and give a small increase to people on workmen’s compensation.
“Of all these years we’ve tried to negotiate on this issue, this is the best bill we’ve seen in a long time,” Hurst said.
Rep. Blaine Galliher, R-Rainbow City, said he was happy to see a Medicaid bill pass because of possible federal cuts in the program. “If we had not passed this bill, Medicaid would have lost about $30 million.”
Hurst said he also was glad to see the Medicaid bill pass to avoid having the state’s program lose funding.
Rep. Randy Wood, R-Anniston, said the roughly $2 billion budget paid state employees the other half of the 7-percent raise they had been promised last year. He also said the state added around $6 million more in children’s health insurance.
“We’ll hopefully be able to stay at level funding for the ‘09-‘10 budget, or at least not have to drop off much,” Wood said.
Galliher said, “I would anticipate next Monday being very productive. We’ve got 35 to 40 bills from the Senate to consider.”
Galliher said he hopes the Senate passes an education budget early in the last day, so the House will have time to review it before voting on it.
“It’s important to have the education budget ready on time because state school superintendents have to hire teachers and make budgets for the next school year quickly,” Galliher said.
Rep. Barbara Boyd, D-Anniston, said discussions between the House and Senate slowed down work in the House some this week, but she was able to participate in work on a commission she chairs that studies women in the criminal justice system.
Sen. Jim Preuitt, D-Talladega, said the Senate passed around 75 bills, most dealing with local issues in numerous areas in the state.
A Lincoln annexation bill to add land near the Lincoln Harbor area passed through the Senate and now goes to the governor, Preuitt said.
He anticipates the Senate deciding on the grocery tax bill next Monday that has passed the House. Preuitt said he hopes the Senate will be able to work out some kind of compromise where citizens do not lose their deduction on their federal income tax.
“It’s something if we can work out and maybe get relief on both sides, it would be a good deal,” Preuitt said.
Preuitt said the slowdown in economic growth in the state has led to education budgeting problems.
“We’ll be looking at the education budget when we go back on the 19th. The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind has been shorted a good bit. We hope to get at least a million dollars back in to make up for the shortfall,” Preuitt said. “Higher education has been hit around 13 percent or so across the board.”
The legislators said they are unsure if the governor will call a special session after the regular session is over.
Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, Rep. Jim McClendon, R-Anniston, and Rep. Ron Johnson, R-Sylacauga, could not be reached for comment Friday.
