MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Tuesday will meet for the 15th day of its 2021 regular session.
The completion of this day will mark the halfway point in legislative days for the session.
Here’s what you should look out for on the day:
Alabama Senate
The Senate will gavel in at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
The later-than-usual start time will accommodate Finance and Taxation Education meeting at 1:00 p.m. to consider the Education Trust Fund budget package. The proposal includes a 2% pay increase for teachers and other education employees, to match the raise proposed in the General Fund budget package for state employees. A spreadsheet of the governor’s recommended ETF budget can be found here; the committee is set to consider a substitute version of the budget bill. Advancing the budget package from committee on Tuesday will enable the legislation to receive a second reading the same day, allowing it to be on the Senate floor on Thursday. Legislative leaders have said they want the budgets out of their respective chamber of origin by the legislative spring break, which is next week, so Tuesday’s committee action will keep the ETF on that timeline.
At 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Senate Democrats will hold a press conference regarding the prospect of Medicaid expansion in Alabama. The newly enacted congressional stimulus legislation has reignited the prospect of the federal government footing much of the bill for the Yellowhammer State to expand Medicaid coverage, and Democrats and several stakeholders are renewing their calls for the State of Alabama to do so.
Governor Kay Ivey’s spokesperson on Thursday said in a statement to Yellowhammer News, “Ensuring every Alabamian has access to quality health care is important to the governor and always has been a priority of hers. However, as she has made clear, the problem has always been how to pay for it. She is open to the discussion, but right now, we simply do not have all the facts. This is a massive (federal) package, and our Finance Department and Medicaid Agency will need thoroughly review it before we can fully weigh in on this issue.”
Alabama House
The House is scheduled to convene at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Just like the upper chamber, the House has some legislation that it wants to get out of committee for a second reading on the day so the bills can be moved on the floor on Thursday ahead of spring break.
This includes HB 445, which will be up in Judiciary at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The anti-riot bill was sent to a subcommittee last week.
At the same time, SB 10, the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, is set to be considered by Health.
Livestreams are available for certain committee rooms and both chambers here.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
