2023 Alabama legislative session

The 2023 Alabama legislative session began with an "organizational session" starting on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. The regular session began on Tuesday March 7, but was quickly recessed in order to accommodate a Special Session called by the Governor. Regular business resumed on Tuesday, March 21.

Thirty-one new representatives and 6 new state senators who won office in the 2022 general election were sworn in for the first time. The Alabama House of Representatives consisted of 77 Republican members (76 of them white) and 28 Democrats (26 of them Black), and was presided over by Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-District 24, Rainsville), who appointed chairs for all House legislative committees. The Alabama State Senate had a 27-8 Republican majority (all 27 Republicans being white and 7 of 8 Democrats being Black), and was chaired by Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, with Greg Reed (R-District 5, Jasper) serving as senator pro tem.

Among the other major issues taken up during the 2022 session were allocation of $580 million in federal relief funds distributed under the American Rescue Plan Act, part of which had already been committed to prison construction ($400 million) and hospitals ($80 million) in a 2021 special session. The legislature was expected to raise salaries for teachers and state employees. House Republicans are pushing a "Standing Tall for Alabama" agenda, the highlights of which include outlawing "critical race theory" in public schools, raising assault charges against first responders to automatic felonies, and eliminating the requirement to have a permit to carry a concealed firearm (a measure largely opposed by Sheriffs).

The session on April 4 was addressed by Angel Tîlvăr, Minister of National Defense minister of România. Tîlvăr urged Alabama businesses to invest in his country and commended the United States' commitment to national defense.

Notable Acts

Business incentives

A package of bills collectively termed "The Game Plan" by Governor Ivey's office would expand the state's investment in economic development projects by extending and increasing funding for tax incentive programs and other recruitment tools offered to private companies who operate in Alabama.

Individual house bills included in "The Game Plan" include:

• A transparency bill, (HB-240), sponsored by Rep. Cynthia Almond, R-Tuscaloosa, would require the Department of Commerce to post on its website more information about the incentives paid to companies.
• A bill (HB-241) which would renew and expand the 2015 Alabama Jobs Act and the 2021 Growing Alabama Act, sponsored by Danny Garrett. Both acts were scheduled to expire in July 2023. The renewals would also enlarge the cap on tax rebates tied to full-time payrolls under the Alabama Jobs Act from $350 million to $475 million by 2027, and the cap on incentives to donate to economic development agencies for site development under the Growing Alabama Act from $20 million to $35 million.
• The Innovating Alabama (HB-247), sponsored by Anthony Daniels, a $25 million tax incentive to encourage donations to economic development organization investing in technology companies.
• The Site Evaluation Economic Development Strategy Act (SEEDS Act, HB-257), sponsored by Garrett, to prepare industrial sites for recruiting businesses

Redistricting

In January 2022 a panel of three federal judges heard arguments that the plan which was passed violated the Voting Rights Act, and ruled that the legislature would need to adopt a plan which achieved fairer representation within two weeks, or accept a plan drawn by a court-appointed expert. Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that he would appeal the ruling. On February 7 the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of the lower court's order pending its review of the appeal, thus allowing the 2022 election to be conducted using the districts ruled to be unlawful by the lower court.

Special sessions

With the legislature having recessed that morning for two weeks, Governor Ivey called a Special Session to begin at 1:00 PM on March 8 to authorize the distribution of a second tranche of federal funds allocated to the state under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, and intended to offset unplanned public costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The amount of the second allocation was $1.06 billion. Funds from the first allocation were already assigned to prison construction, expansion of broadband internet, and various water and sewer projects.

• Act of Alabama No. 2023-1, appropriated $1,060,181,797.72 in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023. Specific appropriations included $400 million for water and sewer projects, $339 million for healthcare (including $100 million for hospitals), $260 million for broadband internet access, and $55 million for a community grant program. The Governor's proposals went largely unchanged in the special session, and the measure was signed into law on March 16. (link)

Other proposed legislation

Senator Andrew Jones (R-D10) introduced a "Family Income Protection Act" which would prohibit municipalities from collecting occupational taxes. Senator Linda Madison-Coleman (D-D20) introduced an amendment which would exclude Class I municipalities, a category which consists solely of the City of Birmingham, from the bill.

References

• Cason, Mike (December 14, 2022) "Incoming Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter names 8 committee chairs." AL.com
• Cason, Mike (January 8, 2023) "Alabama Legislature begins another 4-year term with 37 new lawmakers." AL.com
• Cason, Mike (January 10, 2023) "Alabama House elects Nathaniel Ledbetter as speaker; Greg Reed re-elected Senate pro tem." AL.com
• Cason, Mike (January 29, 2023) "Outlook murky for Alabama lottery, casino bill this year." AL.com
• Cason, Mike (February 18, 2023) "Bills to allow votes on Alabama lottery, casinos, might be on hold for another year." AL.com
• Cason, Mike (March 8, 2023) "Gov. Kay Ivey calls special session for Alabama to allocate $1.1 billion in federal funds." AL.com
• Cason, Mike (March 16, 2023) "Plan for Alabama to spend $1 billion in ARPA funds wins final passage." AL.com
• Cason, Mike (April 12, 2023) "Tax incentives to recruit industry advance in Alabama Legislature." AL.com

External links

• Legislative Acts by Year at sos.alabama.gov
• Alabama Legislature | 2023 | Regular Session at legiscan.com