Goat Hill Weekly: Week 4

What to look for in the House:

Alabama Film Incentive Enhancement Act, House Bill 243 sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur)

What you should know:

Alabama has been behind the curve in the film and television production industry because we lack the incentives other states have to help attract these job-creating productions.

Movies like “Forrest Gump” and others may be predominately about Alabama, but they are filmed in other states like Georgia, South Carolina and Louisiana which have incentives to attract them.

Last year’s update to Alabama’s film incentive law that included television productions was a great success as the popular shows like “Rocket City Rednecks,” “Big Shrimpin’” and “Sweet Home Alabama” all based their productions in Alabama

What this bill would do:

Expand Alabama’s film/television production incentive cap from $10 to $25 million, making Alabama more competitive in the industry.

Double the amount productions could spend and count toward tax incentive rebates from $10 million to $20 million.

Teacher Certification Bonuses, House Bill 251 sponsored by Rep. Jay Love (R-Montgomery)

What you should know:

House Republicans are looking to reward hard-working teachers for gaining advanced teaching credentials.

What this bill will do:

This bill sets aside $2.3 million to fund a $5,000 salary supplement for teachers who complete the process to become national board certified.

Protecting Public Safety Retirement Benefits, House Bill 255 sponsored by Rep. Jay Love

What you should know:

Current law does not specifically include overtime pay in the “earnable compensation” that is the basis for retirement pay for state policemen.

What this bill will do:

This bill would clarify one and for all that overtime payments made to state policemen are part of earnable compensation and therefore will count toward calculating retirement benefits.

What to look for in the Senate:

We expect Sen. Waggoner’s “Texting and Driving” bill to pass through the Senate this week. This will be the final vehicle for this bill. The House will have to pass it again before it goes to the Governor for his signature.

There will be a public hearing on Wednesday for HB 160, the statute that accompanies economic development bill HB 159. Will have more on this later but if you need a refresher on HB 159, go here and scroll to the bottom.

SB219 (Sen. Dial) addressing indemnification for motor carriers will be considered on Wednesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee at 1pm.

Budget Outlook:

The Education Trust Fund Budget (Sen. Pittman) will begin in the Senate this year and has not yet been introduced by the Chairman. It’s expected sometime in the next two weeks but is more likely to come next week.

The General Fund Budget (Rep. Jim Barton) will begin in the House of Representatives this year and has not yet been introduced by the Chairman. We expect to see additional budget hearings before a budget is filed.