Even though the chances seem to be slim that Gov. Kay Ivey will call the Alabama legislature into a special session before the 2021 regular session is slated to convene, the chorus for a special session is growing.
Add State Sen. Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) to the list of those that would like to see Ivey call the legislature back to Montgomery to settle unfinished business from earlier this year. Among those items that remain unresolved are taxation on federal coronavirus relief, the extension of economic development packages and legal protections for businesses from liabilities of the pandemic.
Friday, during an interview with Mobile radio’s FM Talk 106.5, Scofield explained his support for the legislature’s return to the State House.
“I’ve been a proponent of the special because I think that the things that are still hanging out there are extremely important issues,” he said. “And I think there are important issues to the people of Alabama, and in particular our small businesses. And again, the reason I say that is because in listening to the small businesses in my district and the beyond, and I hear those concerns, and frankly, as a small business person, I share some of those concerns. I do think the liability issues are very valid. I’m also concerned about the incentives that will expire at the end of the year. Those are critical right now to begin to turn the economy back around. It’s already headed in that direction.”
“But we definitely don’t need anything out there that can hamper that,” Scofield continued. “And so, I think those issues are important. I also — I don’t think that the money, the assistance, the badly needed assistance, I might that Alabamians have received through the federal — I don’t think it’s right to tax that. I very much support the effort to pull that back so that those badly needed resources are not taxed. That could be a double hit to people. I do support a special, and I know the governor is really weighing the need for that. I guess we’ll just see.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.
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