Friday Five: March 17, 2023
The Alabama Legislature is in session, and Peritus PR is back with our fan-favorite #FridayFive legislative highlights series.
At the end of each week, we’ll take a pit stop to help make sense of the bills that were introduced, debated, passed, failed or signed at the Alabama State House.
If you missed our 2023 Alabama Legislative Guide, start there.
THIS WEEK’S FRIDAY FIVE
-
The curtain closed this week on the special session on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as Gov. Ivey put her “John Hancock” on a plan to allocate the $1 billion in federal funding across health care providers, water and sewer infrastructure, broadband expansion and a variety of pandemic relief efforts. According to reporting by Alabama Daily News, Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) who sponsored the bill said, “We’re trying our best to invest in Alabama’s future, and I think we’ve done a fairly good job.”
Read More: Ivey signs spending plan for $1B in pandemic funds (Alabama Daily News)
-
With the special session behind them, lawmakers’ next priority is renewing critical economic incentives that help Alabama compete with other states as a great place to do business. We can expect the Alabama Jobs and Growing Alabama incentives to appear on the docket soon, as well as other recommendations from a task force charged with evaluating the state’s economic incentives last year.
Read more: With ARPA done, economic incentives now lawmakers’ ‘priority No. 1’ (Alabama Daily News)
-
One of two Alabama prisons to be built under a 2021 construction plan is estimated to cost almost 50% more than lawmakers anticipated when approving the plan. Despite the jump, legislative leadership told reporters they will move forward with the plan, which has already garnered controversy due to its use of ARPA funds and the state’s broader prison crisis.
Read More: Lawmakers say prison plan will continue despite cost jump (Associated Press)
-
Adults with disabilities are seeking increased personal autonomy through a new alternative to guardianship or conservatorship, arrangements that do not account for nuance in an individual’s capacity to weigh in on decisions over their medical and legal affairs. This week, Down Syndrome Alabama held a rally outside the State House advocating for legislation including the Colby Act, which would allow disabled adults to appoint trusted advisors to guide, not direct, decision-making.
Read More: Bill could give Alabamians with disabilities more legal independence (Alabama Reflector)
-
19 states and Washington D.C. have mandated kindergarten as of 2020, and Alabama may join the list soon. Under a bill sponsored by Rep. Pebblin Warren (D-Tuskegee), mandated kindergarten would require children to complete kindergarten or pass an assessment measuring first-grade readiness. The bill is expected to move quickly since it proved favorable during a previous session, and the Alabama State Board of Education passed a resolution on the subject at their last meeting.
Read More: House Education Policy Committee chair hopes mandatory kindergarten bill passes (Alabama Reflector)
OUR PUBLISHED BY PERITUS TAKEAWAY
State public policy shapes our communities, our organizations and our lives. In return, we all have the right and privilege to shape public policy. The driver’s seat has your name on it.
We know life gets in the way, and there are a number of roadblocks to following the legislative session. That’s why Peritus’ public affairs team created a handy-dandy #ALPolitics Guide with all the tools you need to identify and contact your local representatives, explore media resources to keep you informed throughout the session and bridge the gap between policymakers and your community. If you’re reading this, you’re off to a good start.
See ya next Friday!
Check out the 2023 Peritus PR Alabama Legislative Guide here.