LWVAL 2015 First Special Session Legislative Report
Reporting on the First 2015 Special Session
of the Alabama Legislature

UPDATE...

“Gov. Bentley will ask for 3 budget reforms, 4 tax increases in second special session” by Erin Edgemon, al.com, Sept. 3, 2015. The AL legislative session will begin Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 5:00 P.M.. LWVAL will follow the session here.


An Open letter to Alabama Speaker Mike Hubbard
Alabama needs sustainable, equitable, long-term solutions to our state's fiscal problems, not short-term quick fixes. And let there be open discussion during the budget making process so that citizens are aware and can express their views, not announcement after deals are made behind closed doors. On July 27, 2015, LWVAL sent this open letter to Alabama Speaker Mike Hubbard expressing the League's views. The letter was also copied to Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh, to the chairs of the four budget committees in hard copy, and emailed to others on the committees.


LWVAL reported on bills introduced during the 2015 first special session of the Alabama legislature. We will cover the second special session when it is convened. The report will include notice of each bill introduced along with the bill's sponsors, a summary of the bill, complete bill text, current status of the legislation, LWVAL's position on the legislation, and LWVAL's action. Action Alerts urging citizens to contact their legislators are posted in this report at times when their voice will be most effective. The LWVAL Action Team watched for legislation that concerns LWVAL 2015 Legislative Priorities, League Principles, and LWVAL issue positions.

On July 9, 2015, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley called for a special session of the legislature to convene on July 13 in order to pass a General Fund Budget for the coming fiscal year. See this news article by Mike Cason on al.com for more information about the call. The legislature failed to pass this budget during the regular session which ended on June 4. The legislature failed to pass the budget during the first special session which adjourned August 11, 2015. Gov. Bentley is expected to call a second special session soon to pass a general fund budget. The new state fiscal year begins on October 1, 2015.

Following were the rules for the First Special Session as posted on the official website of the AL Legislature (www.legislature.state.al.us):
"Special sessions of the Legislature may be called by the Governor, with the Proclamation listing the subjects which the Governor wishes considered. These sessions are limited to 12 legislative days within a 30 calendar day span.... In a special session, legislation must be enacted only on those subjects which the Governor announces in his proclamation or "call." Anything not in the "call" requires a two-thirds vote of each house to be enacted."

The reform package the governor outlined agrees with several budgetary reforms the League of Women Voters of Alabama has been advocating for years (e.g., un-earmarking, ending the deduction of some federal taxes from state income tax). We are reviewing details of the formal call.

The League of Women Voters of Alabama will keep members and the public informed about legislation introduced during the second special session in the LWVAL Special Session Legislative Report, updated weekly.

LWVAL's coverage of the 2015 regular legislative session and the 2015 first special legislative session remain posted for your review.

Click a link below to see the 2015 First Special Session bills and League action on that issue.
green-right-arrow.jpg icon indicates movement of a bill or addition of a new bill.