MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate Transportation and Energy Committee unanimously voted to favorably recommend HB 2, the Rebuild Alabama Act, in a meeting Monday afternoon.
The committee also unanimously advanced HB 1 and HB 3. None of the three bills were amended by the committee. All three votes were conducted by roll call.
The full Senate is expected to debate the Rebuild Alabama Act Tuesday. Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh (R-Anniston) told reporters Monday that he hopes to take a final vote on the legislation Tuesday.
When asked if he expects any amendments to be made on the floor, Marsh said, “It’s a process, and I think that everybody should have the ability to offer amendments. I’m going to encourage that, but I do believe that you’ll see the [final version of the] bill pretty close to where it is. I have not heard of any amendments that, as I would say, have legs on them. So I think right now the bill is going to end up passing pretty close to where we see it now.”
“I feel confident we’re going to pass both [HB 2 and SB 2], the question is of what intensity — how many votes we’ve got,” he added. “But I feel good about where we are.”
SB 2 is the Senate’s version of HB 1, the legislation that overhauls the Joint Transportation Committee to add accountability, oversight and transparency.
Marsh also advised that when constituents have the facts on the Rebuild Alabama Act, they tend to be supportive. The House overwhelmingly passed the bill Friday. If the Senate makes a substantive amendment to the legislation, the bill would go back to the House for either concurrence or a conference committee before heading to the governor’s desk.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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