Legislative Week 10
Legislative Days 22-23 of 30
New Bills We're Tracking This Week
BILL EXPANDS POWER OF THE
STATE HEALTH OFFICER

SB255 (Sen. Orr)

We OPPOSE this bill because Under SB255, any directive issued by the State Health Officer would have the full force and effect of law when signed by the Governor. SB255 does the following:
  • Nullifies the Constitution during emergencies
  • Places no limit on State Health Officer authority
  • Allows State Health Officers to issue any order they choose
  • Makes emergency orders "supersede" existing law.
  • Is an unconstitutional delegation of authority
  • Read more bullet points and opinion by Scott McDonald here.

STATUS: SB255 has passed the full Senate and is headed to the House.

BILL HELPS DOCS TREAT COVID PATIENTS

SB312 (Sen. Orr)

We SUPPORT this bill because Alabama citizens should have medical choices and not be sent home to die. Focus on America provided these bullet points highlighting that SB312 does the following:
  • Protects physicians’ licenses when treating for COVID-19.
  • Doctors are free to provide true informed consent to patients in regard to ALL forms of treatment for COVID-19.
  • Provides for pharmacies to fill medications and therapies as prescribed for COVID-19. 
  • Provides informed consent for all therapies pertaining to COVID-19.

STATUS: SB312 moved out of the Senate Health Committee and is headed to the full Senate.

NEW "LOTTERY ONLY" BILLS

We OPPOSE these bills.
Update from our ALCAP allies: "On Tuesday of this week, Rep. Chip Brown introduced two “lottery only” bills in the Alabama House of Representatives HB501 and HB502. HB502 is the “enabling legislation” that details how the state-sponsored lottery would be organized, but HB501 is the primary bill that calls for a state-wide constitutional amendment legalizing the state government to prey on its own citizens. The bills are being co-sponsored by the following House members: Rhett Marques, Jeff Sorrells, Shane Stringer, Gil Isbell, Joe Faust, Ed Oliver, Margie Wilcox, Scott Stadthagen, Debbie Wood, Craig Lipscomb, Steve Hurst, Parker Moore."

ALCAP was told that Speaker of the House, Rep. Mac McCutcheon, and Majority Leader, Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter, are endorsing the bills and are “fast-tracking” them in an attempt to get them passed before the end of the 2022 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature. The bills have passed out of the House Tourism committee and are headed to the House Floor.

Read more important details about these bills from ALCAP here.

BILL BANNING CRT PASSED AL HOUSE
HB312 Rep Oliver + 37 Co-Sponsors

We SUPPORT this bill that bans the use/teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts in K-12 and in state government agencies was passed in the House (65-32) See full description in our Week 7 Update.

BILL TO BAN MEDICAL PROCEDURES
ON "TRANSITIONING" MINORS
SB184 (Sen. Shelnutt)

We SUPPORT this bill. It prohibits the use of puberty blockers, cross sex hormones or surgeries for the sole purpose of changing a healthy minor's gender until they are 19 years old.

We are waiting for the House Rules Committee to pick SB184 "VCAP" to be placed on the House calendar for debate and final passage. We have tried to pass VCAP for three consecutive years. In that time there have been 7 well-attended public hearings: 3 in the Senate Health Committee, 2 in the House Health committee and 2 in the House Judiciary Committee.  It passed out of each committee with strong majorities. VCAP has overwhelmingly passed out of the full Senate all 3 years! This identical bill was passed out of the House Rules Committee last year but still never came up for a vote on the House floor.

ACTION: The 2022 session is winding down. Please contact the House Rules Committee members and ask them to add SB184 to the House Special order Calendar.

Read our VCAP 1 pager. Watch our 2 min VCAP commercial.
AL Teacher Explains Why
"Numeracy Act" Is the Wrong Answer
Click pic to watch Kathy Miller discuss why the
"Numeracy Act" (SB171) won't fix Alabama's math crisis.

SB171 Sen. Orr

We OPPOSE this bill. This bill authorizes $92M/year for approximately 700 “math coaches”. The coaches will not be teaching struggling students in the classroom but will instead teach K-5 teachers how to develop lessons and assessments that align with current Alabama failed math standards.

The bill swells the AL State Department of Education's (ALSDE) bureaucracy by adding the following: Elementary Mathematics Task Force, School Improvements Teams, Post-Secondary Math Task Force, K-5 Coach Endorsement Program, and a School Improvement Turn Around Academy for principals and administrators.

ACTION: Ask your House rep to vote "NO" on the "Numeracy Act".
BILLS WE'RE WATCHING BUT
HAVEN'T MOVED THIS WEEK
  • SB293 & SB294. Full scale state-sponsored gambling See Week 9
  • HB123 and SB40 Social Emotional Learning Programs and Mental Health Coordinators in Schools. See Week 6. (We oppose)
  • SB184 VCAP-Bans medical interventions on minors wanting to change their sex. See Week 5. (We support)
  • SB140/HB245 School Choice Bill. See Week 4. (Waiting for changes)
  • HB170 Bans female genital mutilation. See Week 6. (We support)
  • HB160 Decriminalizes marijuana. See Week 6. (We oppose)
  • SB10 Bans online censorship. See Week 6. (We support)
Click to find & attend Eagle Forum meetings across the state. Keep checking back as new meetings are added weekly.
www.AlabamaEagle.org Phone: 205-879-7096