Elected Officials Enjoy Taste of Alabama

About 100 elected officials enjoyed a Taste of Alabama Agriculture while rubbing shoulders with farming constituents from back home during the Alabama Farmers Federation's annual legislative reception Wednesday in Montgomery. Sens. David Sessions, R-Grand Bay, and Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, along with Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Saraland, spoke about why the night of food and fellowship is important to lawmakers. Click to watch.

Checkoff Bills Pass Full Senate, House Committee

Legislation allowing more money from commodity checkoff programs to be used for research, education and promotion advanced this week. The Senate bill earned a unanimous floor vote while the House companion cleared committee.

SB 91 by Sen. Josh Carnley, R-Enterprise, passed 33-0 Thursday after receiving a favorable committee report earlier in the week.

"Thank you to the Alabama Farmers Federation and the Alabama Peanut Producers Association for allowing me the carry SB 91," Carnley said. "As a peanut farmer, it’s my pleasure to serve my fellow farmers in Montgomery. I look forward to continuing to defend and work hard for the men and women who feed this great state and nation."

HB 180 by Rep. Jennifer Fidler, R-Fairhope, was voted out of the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee. SB 91 now heads to the same House committee for consideration while HB 180 awaits action by the full House. The bills would amend existing checkoff provisions as follows:

Peanuts

• Remove the newspaper referendum notice requirement, bringing it into conformity with the other checkoff programs;
• Increase the time between referendums from three to five years; and
• Reduce the amount the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries is authorized to deduct for administrative costs from 5% to 3%, which is in line with other checkoffs

Sheep and Goats

• Decrease the frequency of required audits from two years to five years

Bills Limiting Livestock Ordinances Advance

Legislation designed to protect livestock owners from overly restrictive municipal ordinances passed the Senate Thursday, and a companion bill was referred to the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee.

SB 147 by Sen. David Sessions, R-Grand Bay, and HB 242 by Rep. Danny Crawford, R-Athens, would prohibit municipalities from establishing ordinances more restrictive than state law regarding livestock which get out of fences or other enclosures. SB 147 unanimously passed the Senate after clearing the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, which Sessions chairs, earlier in the week.

Under state law, a person is guilty of permitting livestock or animals to run at large on another's property only if they do so knowingly, voluntarily, negligently or willfully. The proposed legislation would require any municipal ordinances to include the same standard of intent.

SB 147 will now go to the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee, chaired by Crawford.

Tranthams Lead Pledge, Prayer in Senate

Daniel and Carla Trantham of Calhoun County were honored in the Senate Thursday for winning the Alabama Farmers Federation's Outstanding Young Farm Family and American Farm Bureau Federation's Achievement Award. Carla led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Daniel offered an invocation to start the legislative day. The couple had a chance to meet with lawmakers including, clockwise from top right, Rep. Randy Wood, R-Anniston; Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff; and Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston.

Elected Leaders Weigh Tax Cuts, Rebates

With an expected surplus of $2.7 billion in Alabama's Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget and a small cushion in the General Fund budget, elected officials are weighing options for returning a portion of the excess to taxpayers.

Gov. Kay Ivey proposed one-time income tax rebates of $400 for individuals and $800 for joint filers in her supplemental ETF package. Total cost of the rebates is projected at $966 million. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and others have proposed rolling back the state's sales tax on groceries.

Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, and Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, have introduced legislation to gradually eliminate the state sales tax on food, beginning with a reduction from 4% to 3% in September. HB 250 and SB 177 were introduced Wednesday. The bills have been assigned to the House Way and Means Education Committee and Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, chaired by Garrett and Orr, respectively.

One idea gaining momentum is legislation which would lower certain rates on taxable income. Two bills, sponsored by Garrett, unanimously passed the House of Representatives Thursday. Orr is sponsoring companion bills in the Senate.

HB 116 and SB 47 would eliminate the 2% tax rate on the first $500 of taxable income for individuals and the first $1,000 for married persons filing jointly. HB 115 and SB 48 would phase in a reduction of the top tax rate for taxable income over $3,000, from 5% to 4.95% by the 2027 tax year.

Alabama Farmers Federation External Affairs Department Director Brian Hardin praised lawmakers for exploring ways to give back to taxpayers.

"We appreciate our elected officials recognizing this opportunity to reduce the tax burden for Alabamians while conservatively planning for the future to avoid tax increases down the road," Hardin said. "We will continue working with the governor, lieutenant governor and Legislature to ensure taxpayers benefit from this rare budget surplus without creating an additional tax burden in years to come."

Legislation to enact income tax rebates proposed by Ivey also is sponsored by Orr and Garrett, SB 86 and HB 175, respectively.

Other grocery tax-related bills include HB 15 by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, which would allow municipalities to reduce or eliminate the local tax on food.

Gov. Ivey, Legislative Leaders Unveil 'The Game Plan'

Gov. Kay Ivey joined bipartisan legislative leaders at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery Monday to unveil "The Game Plan," a four-part package designed to extend economic incentives while increasing accountability.

“The Game Plan will position Alabama for a new era of vigorous growth, allowing us to continue our record-breaking economic development success, while providing new levels of support for the state’s innovation economy,” Ivey said. “This package will benefit all Alabamians, those living in both urban centers and rural areas, and ensure our citizens are ready for high-paying careers.”

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