Friday Five: March 24, 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
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“Good time” is the time inmates can shave off their sentence with good behavior. This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill that would limit the amount of “good time” inmates can accrue and even prevent inmates convicted of certain offenses from qualifying for good time at all. Opponents to the bill are concerned it would make the already overcrowded prisons even worse off.
Read More: Alabama bill would limit prison release for good behavior (Associated Press)
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This week, the Senate unanimously passed a bill that would guarantee visitation rights (at least two hours daily) for a hospital or nursing home patient’s “essential caregiver,” which could be a different person every day. According to the bill’s sponsor Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman), this is a direct response to the painful separation between patients and loved ones during the pandemic.
Read more: Alabama Senate passes bill to require hospitals to allow visitors (AL.com)
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According to reporting by AL.com, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids caused almost 70,000 deaths in the U.S. (316 in Jefferson County) in 2021. In an effort to eliminate illicit fentanyl, the House passed a bill mandating prison time for possession of a gram or more of the pure drug. Gov. Ivey issued a statement after the passage stating, “I’ve instructed ALEA to make combatting this deadly drug a top priority, and I urge our legislators to quickly send HB 1 to my desk, so I can sign it into law.”
Read More: Alabama House approves mandatory prison time for fentanyl (AL.com)
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In a 5-4 vote, a Senate committee advanced a bill that would slowly and significantly reduce occupational taxes which employees pay to municipalities, whether they live in that city or not, to cover the cost of services like public safety. The bill’s sponsor Sen. Andrew Jones (R-Centre) said, “Can we not agree that when first responders come in to restore power in a county after tornadoes, that they shouldn’t have to pay 2% of their salaries when they came to the aid of their fellow man in Alabama?”
On the flipside, representatives from municipalities around the state strongly oppose the bill. Gadsden Fire Chief Will Reed told the committee in a public hearing, “We have seven fire stations, and a large portion of our funding comes from this occupational tax... Unfortunately, we would have to cut three of our fire stations if this happens.”
Read More: Senate committee OKs bill to reduce occupational taxes for cities (Alabama Political Reporter)
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The House unanimously passed legislation that would implement several measures to streamline the adoption process and shorten it by as much as a year, according to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ginny Shaver (R-Leesburg). Rep. Shaver has been working on the bill for four years in collaboration with the Alabama Law Institute, and before the session began House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter named it as one of his top priorities. “If we’re going to be a pro-life state, we need to make sure that we stand up for the kids and give options to parents,” Shaver said.
Read More: Bill streamlining adoption process gets unanimous House approval (Alabama Daily News)
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.