From ou statehouse studio in Montgomery.

Welcome to Capital Journal.

I'm Jeff Sanders in tonight for Todd Stacey.

Thanks for joining us.

Topping our news tonight.

Final passage for a legislation that could allow the state to borrow more money to complete Alabama's massive bridging prison construction project, which began back in 2021.

Senate Bill 60 from Senator Greg Albritton would raise the state's borrowing cap for prison construction from 785 million to $1.25 billion.

Governor Kay Ivey has said the additional borrowing should not be necessary to finish the new facilities.

But all Britton says the state needs to keep its options in case an open, just in case costs continue to rise.

Representative Rex Reynold is handling SB 60 in the House.

After some debate on the floor, lawmakers approved the bill and sent it to the governor's desk.

The Alabama Corrections Institute finance authorities authorize up to 785 million for the construction of two mega prisons, one being in Elmore and one being Escambia, members.

This is a bil we hope we do not have to use.

But it's a safeguard while we're in session, to go ahead and provide this authority to a safer, to raise this to 1,000,285 million.

And that's a $500 million increase.

We are we we anticipate a shortfall of about $650 million as we move into this can be a prison.

We do have a phased in approach.

That could be considered.

If we do that, we would have three budget cycles, to fund that prison.

And so we again, we hope not to need this, but it is something that we need to, put in place.

How do we fund these bonds?

Well, these are these are funded out of the general fund.

The debt servic comes out of the general fund.

I know so what are we getting the money to go into the general fund to do?

Well, all this great spending, we're seeing in Alabama, let's see the growing budget that's for right now.

But what does the future bring to us?

And the reason I ask that is because from the national perspective, with so many departments being shut down, the state of Alabama ha any number of federal department where people are losing their jobs.

That means less tax coming to the state, either sales tax, income tax, any other tax.

We think about with the second half of the legislative session now in full swing, lawmakers are turning their attention to the state's budgets, starting with the before mentioned general fund.

The House Way and Means General Fund Committee met today and advance a spending plan totaling nearly $3.7 billion for fiscal year 2026, a new record high for the general fund.

Lawmakers on the committee credited the growth to strong returns on state accounts, which had benefited from highe interest rates in recent years.

But they also issued a warning Alabama's good fortune may not last, and future budgets might have to not have the same level of extra revenue to work with.

We're in a good position in the general fund.

Two things.

A we started off the fiscal year, higher than we thought.

We had some additional revenues.

And that's because of the conservative budget that you passed last year.

Left left some revenue on the table.

And that's what we're supposed to do, this year, we'll do we'll d the same at a higher percentage.

Certainly.

We we did not anticipate and we did not think we would have any growth.

And as you seen from the numbers I've sent you, we continue to see growth, through through this, 2025 fiscal year.

And we thought the interest rate, would go down quicker than we thought.

And they have not to date and I'm not sure what they'll do for remainder of the year but we're going to be cautious, moving forward and ensure that we've got a very conservative budget.

Our current, condition, we're at 2025 year to date receipts, as of 228, stand at $1,514,543,999.

So, between March and September, as a comparison to last year, we need that amount.

And then, during that same time frame, receipts were at 2 billion, 8 million, $93,000, 126.

And so that leaves about 431,180,000, on the table.

And so that's, I applaud you for the work you did going into the 25 budget.

Lawmakers advance the general fund budget out of committee and on to the full House.

We now turn to the Senate, where a controversial truck weight bill passed today but only after some big changes.

Senate Bill 110, sponsored by Senator Jack Williams, originally aimed to raise axle weight limits for log trucks, something supporters sai would help the timber industry and prevent drivers from being unfairly hit with fines and court cost.

But the proposal met resistance from Alea and the Alabama Department of Transportation.

They warned that heavier axle loads could damage roads and bridges, and created added safety ris for drivers on the Senate floor.

Williams accepted amendments from Senator Clyde Chambliss under the.

Under the revised bill, axle weight limits will now stay the same, but there are now changes t how law enforcement is handled.

The amended version would limit how many trucks can be stoppe at one time for weight checks, and it gives drivers more options to challenge portable scale readings.

If you're there at the scales and you're within ten miles of the meal, then you can go ahead and go to the meal with one of the troopers and weigh your truck at the meal.

And if that set of scales that weighs gross and those scales are certified by ag and industries.

And so it's not just that it is regulated, but if that gross shows that you're the that you are, under gross will, then that ticket goes away because it is obviously a false ha.

Let's say you're 90 miles from a meal.

So the second part of this would allow the trucker to go to any certified scale, weigh his truck, and if he' under gross when he gets there, it's obvious that our temporary scales are portable.

Scales, gave a false ha because of an air rod system or whatever and then that ticket goes away.

So our local economy, the people, as these trucks come out of the woods, every one of them stops and gets a Coke and a candy bar or something.

So it helps all our economy and at our little stores out in the country, because they're not going by big stores where they're where they're coming from out of the woods.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously.

And now heads to the House for further debate.

With the legislative session back in full swing, advocacy groups returned to the capital city, gathering on the stage at the statehouse today.

Among them was the Alabama Voting Rights Coalition in Montgomery for their annual Lobby Day.

Members of the group raised their voices in support of voting rights and stronger democracy.

They spent the day meetin with lawmakers and urging action on policies they say would expand access to the ballot and protect voting power.

We are standing in solidarit with more than 15 organizations that are rooted in social justice, that does the work of electoral organizing, mobilizing power building to ensure tha community members and partners all across the state of Alabama understand what's at risk.

We are in a state of emergency.

We are seeing the defunding of education, the dismantling of important departments that help, directly impact our everyday life.

What happens on the federal level impacts us on the local level, but also what happens on th local level impacts us, right?

It impact, our roads, our infrastructure.

It impacts us when it comes to environmental justice.

In Montgomery, these are where the decisions are being made.

So that's where we had to show up.

We worked with several legislators in the drafting and craftin of some of these pro-democracy pro voter bills, sb7 and HB 60, which are companion bills.

The first ever Alabama Voting Rights Act, that really works to undo some of the harms that we've seen, since the Shelby versus holder decision back in 2013 that rolled back our preclearance requirement that really led to states across the country, really eroding awa some of those clear protections, that particularly affect communities of color.

Really, today's gathering is all about kind of three main things, educating, empowering and engaging.

So part of what today's Lobby day will do is, bringing all of these different organization and community members together to really educate them on all of the various bills, that we've mentioned before.

Like I said, the Voting Rights Act, absentee ballot cures, creating a holiday for Election Day.

So that way people don't have to take off work letting them know that the options are there and that they just need to demand their legislators, put those bills on committee agendas.

So that way a vote can happen.

Another group gathered on th steps of the statehouse today.

Faith in action.

Alabama leaders with the organization say their mission is to fight fo the well-being of every Alabama.

And they believe the nation has reached a critical crossroads where action must be taken.

As part of this legislative session, Faith in Action Alabama is focusing on four key priorities, which they say are essential to building a more just and equitable state.

Faith in Action Alabama a multiracial and multicultural and a multi-faith organization whose mission is to honor God by dismantling systemic racism to create pathways of opportunity for all Alabamians.

Not a select few, but all Alabamians have faith in action.

Alabama has identified four legislative priorities to increase state funding for Alabama's public schools Medicaid expansion, voting rights, and parole reform.

Coming up next on Capitol Journal, we sit down with Representative Andy Wade to talk about his bill targetin THC and hemp derived products.

Is i about protecting public health or is it a hit to Alabama's industry?

Stick around.

That interview is just ahead.

After the break.

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And welcome back to Capitol Journal.

I'm joine now by Representative Andy Whitt representing district six, which includes parts of North Alabama up i Madison and Limestone counties.

Representative Witte, thanks so much for being with us.

Thank you, Jeff, for having us.

And certainly always a joy to be here.

Well, we're we're back in session.

We're I gues the second half of the session, which is really when a lo of the heavy lifting gets done.

I know we have the budgets coming up, the education, the general fund budget.

It tends to be the busie time of the year for lawmakers.

It is.

And this is a stressful stretch as we say.

So we're looking forward to it.

Finish strong.

And again, we've got a lot of good legislation that we've got to get passed this year.

Speaking of legislation there's something that you are we have some props here on the Senate.

And, you know, we've heard so much about cannabis the last few years, but, let's talk more about this delta h THC products.

People can get them.

You bought that at convenience store?

It seems like.

What?

What's the big deal with this?

Yeah.

So, basically, as as I began working on this, this legislation about nine months ago, I quickly found that this is an unregulated, unchecked, product that i being served across our state.

And since the 2018 Congress congressional Farm bill, this has created a loophole.

And these products basically, a I say, have invaded our state.

You can go to any gas station, service station, you can go t some of our local, convenience stores, our grocery stores, and purchase these again.

Alea Alabama Department of Public Health, nor ABC is over these, an regulations or control to these.

So these are very dangerous products.

I can I can tell you horror stories from from my wife, her days and education to the stories that I've received since I began working on this legislation.

It's a serious issue that we need to address, and we're going to address it this, this session.

So the average perso goes, okay, I'm confused here.

Sure.

You know, we legalize medical marijuana in the state, even though that's caught up in the legal channels right now.

Otherwise, you know, marijuana is illegal in the state.

You would think this is illegal.

But we talk about this delta THC.

We talk about the farm bill.

So that was a hemp bill.

And that is correct.

And as I've said, these individuals that have created these products which are loopholes, as I say, these are very dangerous products.

And this is probably one of the most dangerous products that I have seen.

Understand, when someone buys these at a at a store, at a convenience store.

These can be sol as is these other products shows it is marketed to children could be marketed to kids.

They they they're disguised as Doritos.

Racy cup suckers, all these other thing that they're disguised as.

So.

But this particular gummy one serving is 1/16 of the gummy itself.

It is a nibble.

Now, how many people flip over to the back of this?

It says not many, not many.

That that one dosage is 1/16 of this.

So if you look even at the ingredients, 1/16 of the gummy is 215mg.

Now understand a five milligram, gummy that you see at the store or your, your, THC drink a five is the equivalent of approximately three drinks to Nondrinkers.

So in Alabama, this is openly sold.

It's being sold on tap at bars across the state.

You and I can go into som bars, and some of the larger CDs is being sold on tap.

When does a bartender know whe to stop serving an individual?

What is that individual's limit?

And again, you and I can make this stuff in our backyard and sell it and package it and sell i at our local convenience stores.

And what I was in a, Senator Tim Nelson had a similar bill in the Senate that did not pass committee.

And we'll talk about that in a second.

But one of the people in the public hearing who got up and spoke and said, you know, for children, if they grab this, there is candy.

You talk about 1/16 of a serving.

They may eat three or 4 or 5, which then can lead to an overdose.

So I'm certainly glad you brought up that information about it, about the children.

Again, as, as I began digging into my research through October of 2024, the latest numbers that I have from our poiso control center here in Alabama, they had 160 cases of overdoses.

The overdoses were the ages from 2 to 15 by far.

That was their largest age group.

The second largest age group had 40 overdoses, and it was 16 to 19.

I think it was the age.

But but surprisingly and truly heartbreaking was that we had over 20 cases of children under tw that had overdosed on gummies.

How are they getting these?

And, we've got to do a better job.

As I've said, we've got to put guardrails on this.

We've got to protect our kids.

These products are going into stores.

You know, the drink here that that I've brought today is 50mg, 50mg and that is just off the chart.

And even, it's so widely, it's being sold is that, you know, there's a store off o Interstate 65 in Shelby County that you can get a slushy 50mg slushie and enjoy on your way to the beach.

And that's that's just an unfathomable to me.

And we've got to put them out of business.

They have to, get guardrails in and stop this.

You mentioned put them out of business.

You mentioned guardrails.

Let's talk about this bill.

Some of the key goals.

What would your bill do in.

So first and foremost, it would put all of these products under the ABCs, purvey.

And they would actually license 21 and over establishments paid no on sit consumption, just like alcohol.

It would it would move these products into alcohol.

Not not necessarily the alcohol, realm, but AB is they are already with these 21 and over stores that are selling alcohol.

Why not utilize, their staff that's there.

So they will license these products.

They will be tested through a third party.

They will be reviewe by our state health department and given the green light.

So it will have all the ingredients, all the testing material there, pack packaging.

It will no longer be targeting tickets.

You will not see the Doritos or these other as these.

This is one of the famous wrestlers, Hulk Hogan, who told me in my day to, eat my vitamins, and now he's telling me to eat gummies.

That's just unreal to me.

So, also removed is vapes and smoke bubbles.

As you go into some of these shops, which we've all been into gas stations, we look and there is all of these glass jars.

It looks like marijuana.

And I get a police officer and he couldn't tell me what was marijuana, the flower or not.

So Smokable vapes, inhales.

Anything like tha would be outlawed in this law.

We're talking strictl five milligrams of THC water in, you know, infused water or, these gummies.

This comes up this week in committee.

It will be in committee, on Wednesday.

Correct.

We mentioned Senator Melton earlier, his bill, similar legislation in the Senate, did not make it out of committee.

It was a tie vote, which means that it doesn't pass.

You've talked to your colleagues.

How do you feel about this?

So I'm very optimistic about that.

I've talked with our health committee on on being able to get it out.

I have found bipartisan support on both sides of the aisle.

I think it's important t engage everyone in this process.

And then, look.

Hey ahead.

And now began working the Senate.

So we were working that that angle as well.

Always planning ahead.

I want to switch gears a little bit here and go from this to something that you and I have talked about several times, and that is probably your the I would imagine you get asked about this.

I get often asked often.

Yes.

And and we're talking about gambling.

Last year you were one of the maybe point persons not the right term but you were one of the people who were maybe the architects who were working.

You worked on this comprehensive gambling plan last year that passed the House with bipartisan support.

I know you'd worked on that for a long time.

About.

And I kno when you and I talked initially, it was about reining in all these kind of like mom and pop illegal back shop, the gambling halls that made it through the house, which had been th the stumbling block for years.

And then it crashed in the Senate.

Senator, Greg, all Britain in the Senate has mentioned in a public report that he plans to bring gambling back up this week.

He's been talking to Senate leadership.

What can you tell us?

I have not been part of th any of the discussions upstairs.

We have not had conversations with Senator Albritton or the leadership upstairs.

It will be a strictly a Senate bill to see what they have, and they have not included us on any of the conversations.

Unlike what we did, we included the Senate in our conversations, last year.

So we've not actually had any conversations at all.

About gaming.

So we'll just have to see what they, if anything, comes down to the house and we'l we'll take it up and address it.

But I will tell you, any legislation that comes down from the Senate will need to address the concerns that our House members have.

You know, we passed a good bill.

It went up to the Senate.

And, as you know, there was a lot of confusion, that we when we sent it up, it appeared to us.

And so, we'll wait to see what they have, but it it needs to be as close to that house version as possible.

You took my question away.

I know that the speaker had said so.

I've spoken to Representative Chris Blackshear earlier and he had said the same thing.

You all put a really good blueprint that you feel is a is a really good bill, a really good piece of legislation, and that the Senate bill needs to be very similar.

That's correct.

Yeah.

So we'll just leave it at that.

We'll wait to see.

That's right.

Before I let you go, about a minute left here, let's talk about the budgets.

The starting up talk this week, obviously in both chambers, the education and the general trust fund.

How does that process or how do you fill that process going?

So I think we've really put a lot of work into this year's budget.

Chairman Reynolds has done a fantastic job engaging the committee members.

And we've all had input.

We've all found, places where we could improve, working with, ASI and some different groups that basically that, sit on a commission, as a ASIS commissioner.

And so we've been able to find some stuff that we thought we could clean up.

So, I think we're in a good spot.

Interest rates are holding, and which means that some revenue, obviously that, it's really unrecognized, that that could go away at any time.

So we're holding on to those, but, we're in good shape.

The budget will be out this week and look forward to the debate.

And my final thing is congratulations to you and your family.

Think of it this weekend your son got married.

Yep.

And thank you for that.

My son.

Grant Whitt, did get married over the weekend.

There in Huntsville.

And his bride is Congressman Robert Aderholt, daughter, Mary Elliott.

So we're just thrilled to deat to welcome her into our family.

Well, congratulations on that.

And we appreciate you spending some time with us.

Thank you.

Any time.

Thank you so much.

And we'll be right back with more Capitol Journal.

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Click on the online video tab on the main page.

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Muscle Shoal Sound Studio was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 2nd, 2006.

And that's our show for tonight.

Thanks so much for joining us.

We'll be back tomorrow night with more from the Alabama Legislature.

For all of us here at Capitol Journal, I'm Jeff Sanders and for Tod Stacy.

We'll see you next time.