From ou statehouse studio in Montgomery.

I'm Todd Stacey, welcome to Capitol Journal.

Today was day 29 of the Alabama legislature's 2025 regular session, the second to last day.

After a speedy pace yesterday, things slowed down again today in the Senate.

Top Democratic senators were upset about different pieces of legislation and took the opportunity to filibuster.

The result being the Senate still has as many as 60 bills to get through on the final day, which is next Wednesday.

One of those bills is Senate Bill five from state Senator Chris Elliott.

It would change the State Archives and History board from its current self-perpetuating structure to being appointed by various state leaders.

Similar to other state boards, the bill passe the Senate earlier this session, and it passed the House yesterday.

But the House added an amendment taking away the Senate's authority to confirm nominees.

State Senator Roger Smitherman objected to that, and he filibustered the bill.

And they're going t take Senate confirmation of now.

You can't take Senate confirmation.

We are you know, they're just they're just be very frank about it.

You know, I've I will say what I think this bill is going to do.

And I have to say to how I'm totally against the bill, but I'm not I'll, you know, I won't stan in the way of your concurrence with the bill in terms of, of of, no, I concur or what we got to do.

But no, I'm not going to agree to that.

I'm not going to agree to let let let whoever that might be be wild and willy nilly and just start throwing folks anywhere that they see fit from the state and, and, and, just and without some oversight by us, at least as a body.

The Senate eventually voted to send the bill to a conference committee, so its fate will be decide when lawmakers return next week.

The Senate today passed House Bill 166 from State Senator Donn Steen, known as the Focus Act.

The bill would ban the use of cell phones by students in public school.

During the debate, State Senator Chris Elliott again proposed an amendment to allow limited parents to contact.

But Justine urged lawmakers to reject it.

The amendment failed, and th bill passed with broad support.

I would, urge members to thin carefully about that amendment.

You're going to hear from parents back home if this passe and they're not able to simply, you know, they're not able to communicate with their child about practice being canceled.

Car breaking down, tire goes flat.

Forgot the soccer cleats.

The bill is tight as it is.

There's devices that schools can use to put these phones away during instructional times.

There's a front office that a child can use to call a parent.

I think the biggest tether is going to come from parents not being able to contact their children.

So in in school systems where this has been implemented, it has worked With just one meeting day remaining in the session, lawmaker are running out of time to pass remaining legislation.

Today's slowdown mean the Senate never got to consider more than 50 local bills waiting on final passage.

Senate President Pro Tem Garland Gunter spoke with reporters about what to expect when senators return to Montgomery next week for the final day.

When the question about ending it today, was the right decision, I believe, so that everyone stopped.

We had a clean break, and then we're going into the last legislative day knowing exactly what's in front of us, about trying to start fighting back and forth and go on in the cluttering mode.

I think all that does is, create a little bit of animosity towards each side of the aisle, and we don't want that.

What about the police immunity bill?

And there's going to probably be some talk about that.

We're trying to figure ou if that's going to be on there.

Plus we have some confirmations that we have to do.

That's our duty in the Senate that we're going to focus on too.

As of right now, that local legislation is my main priority because all politics is local, and we want to make sure that we try and take care of our members here.

And the members in the House has been with being along the next week.

Yes.

Busy 11 hours.

Well, we're we're going to, come in at 1:00, just so y'all know.

And we're probably be here until we get through with everything we've got.

in the House.

State Representative Susan DuBose had two bills passed today.

Or at least the Senate versions of her proposed legislation.

The first was Senate Bill 76 from State Senator April Weaver, which exempts mothers who are nursing from being required to serve jury duty.

So I'm really excited that today we passed Parker's bill, which allows breastfeeding women to be exempt from jury duty.

It's all thank to a constituent, Candice Brown, whose three month old baby, Parker had to be toted down t the Jefferson County Courthouse, and they had to wait down there for hours while they waited on the judge to decide whether or no she had to serve in jury duty.

So this guarantees that breastfeeding women will not have to go down t the courthouse with their babies and plea to be exempt from from jury duty.

I always want to stand up for women and women's rights.

I want to protect babies and children in our state.

And this is just a common sense bill that we needed to pass.

We had the Supreme Court of the State of Alabama come out and clarified that, indeed, breastfeeding wome should be exempt from jury duty.

But we wanted to pass the legislation to make it loud and clear in the state of Alabama that we stand for moms and babies in the state.

That bill was amended in the House, so it must go back to the Senate for final passage.

The second most bill was Senate Bill 101 from State Senator Larry Stutz, which raises the age of medical consent from 14 to 18.

This includes decisions on vaccines counseling.

Minors would still be allowed to consent on birth control or STD treatments.

In the state of Alabama.

I think most people would be shocked to learn that the age of medical consent is 14.

It was the lowest in the nation.

In fact, only three states are below the age of 18.

That meant that children 14 year olds could make all their own medical decisions, and parents could be kept from even seeing their medical records.

So this raises that age up to 16.

It gives parents the opportunity to participate in the health care of their minor children, as we all know they should.

It just makes sense.

This is going to protect children, and it's going to be important for parents in the state of Alabama.

Now, I have had emotional, passionate pleas from parents begging for legislation to raise the age of medical consent.

There are nightmare stories out there where 14 year olds are making all their own decisions, where they may have mental incapacity and all sorts of things going on, and parents are being kept from finding out medical diagnosis when they could step in and help their children.

That bill will also have to go bac to the Senate for final passage.

Here's a look at other notable bills passing today.

House Bill 165 from State Representative Rick Graham would make would make Juneteenth an official state holiday.

That's the day celebratin the end of slavery in America.

Senate Bill 14 from state Senator Wes Kitchens would officially cut the state's ties to the Eric voter registration database.

The state now has its own database known as Abbott.

Senate Bill 158 from State Senator Tim Nelson would prohibit foreign driver's licenses from being used as voter identification.

And Senate Bill 15 from State Senator April Weaver would create a new crime of mail theft for someone stealing a package off the porch.

And we'll be right back with tonight's guests.

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Welcome back to Capitol Journal.

Joining me next is state senator Tim Nelson from Florence.

Senator thanks for coming on the show.

Thanks for having me.

We're almost done.

We are.

One more day left.

You ready for this to be over?

I am ready.

Yeah, I think everybody is.

But, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Yeah.

Been a quieter session for you as compared to other ones.

But you've been involved in this hemp issue, right?

Cannabinoid products, CBD products.

You described i as kind of being out of control.

And you and Mr. Witte in the Hous have worked on this legislation to kind of regulate the industry.

Right.

Walk me through kind of where this came from and what the bill does.

I had initially started for me when I started having, my local school superintendents call and saying they were having a problem with, individuals taking products, that were they were overdosing now.

So they were either laced with something or, you know, involved with some of the product besides just pure THC or too high THC.

And so I just looked into it more and saw that there was an issue we need to address.

It was unregulated, uncontrolled.

No certificate of analysis to know what's in it.

And it was just a lot of questions that needed to be addressed.

It was in an attempt to, hurt any industry or, do anything except protect, individuals.

And we've been doing that.

So it kind of derives because you all passed that hemp bill years ago to allow agriculture, to grow those plants for products.

Right?

Not for consumption I think that's how you put it.

It was not ever meant to be.

Turn it into a vape or turn it into a gummy.

Is that not correct on that?

Oh, you're correct.

It was meant for, paper, clothing, and rope things that hemp was normally normally used for.

You know, it's pretty funny if you go back and look around the 1600s, they initially, grew hemp and everybody had to grow in, in, Virginia, actually.

And then in Pennsylvania that was used for currency.

So it's been around a long time.

Yeah.

Interesting.

So practically, how does it work?

The ABC board is going to come in and regulate.

And so their officers, I mean, they they regulate tobacco and all that too.

Right.

So it will be similar to that in terms of going to stores and making sure they're not selling unregulated products.

That's right.

I don't know if you remember this, but just a couple of years ago, we put an age limit on these products.

And, unfortunately, it just wasn't valid.

It was 21 and over.

We did it o kind of a honor system without, too many, guardrails.

And we probably should have, in hindsight, had more, but it'll be in, 21 and only stores, except the drinks.

They'll be, they could be in a, retail grocery store and, otherwise they'll be a lot more controlled, a lot more, regulated.

And you also mentioned, you know, because there was some pushback on this from the producers themselves.

Sure.

Are you confident that those farmers, those those producers won't be negatively impacted?

I mean, I guess some if they're still under those, you know, bad actors, maybe they will be.

But yeah, the legit, products won't be affected.

Hopefully not.

I mean, I can't say that some won't be, because it's it's going to, you know, it some of these were kind of, you know, going bad type chemist and that they were making a product that was not exactly by the book and they intended the hemp bill.

And they, they weren't necessaril doing this just to be that way, but they were pretty creative i the products they made, I see.

And, so that's got to be addressed as well.

But some, some people are probably going to get this, you know, feel the discomfort of having it change their business model.

Yeah.

Relatedly, on the issue of medical marijuana, you were the author of the medical marijuana bill that passed three years ago, four, four years ago.

I'm losing track.

So that's that's what I' trying to get to is it's okay.

Four years ago and still no products on the shelf.

No.

No patient who that was.

That' why you did it with no registry.

Yeah.

And so I know there's a lot of frustration.

What did what do we know about.

Because I know there's been some court rulings and trying to get things going.

What do we know about the future of that?

Because you offered a bill this yea to kind of move the thing along.

It just kind of died But what's the future look like?

We ever going to have those medical marijuana as y'all intended in the law?

I'm optimisti we will, but I'm also realistic.

It took us three year to pass this bill during Covid, and then for non-COVID years, we can't get it.

Initiate it So that's kind of disappointing.

I think there's been some good intentions, but bad advice.

Hate it.

And, you know this every time it looks like, something's going to break free, somebody either files another sui or a judge gives another ruling, and I expect it to be tied up for another year or two.

But I hope we'll finally say enough's enough and step in.

I think my bil this time would have done that.

But why did that bill not move forward?

What was the reluctance from your colleagues?

I think that they thought, a few of them, that the court were going to find a solution.

And the last applicant, protested pretty loud.

The ones that received the application or they were approved for the license.

And, you know, they get thrown out here two weeks ago and and now nobody has a license.

They're going to have to start from scratch.

And, you know, the bill I had said that the the, the commission wouldn't take the winter.

It would be a new system for doing that.

Some reputable people that work for the state would have gone out and find an organization that would have, looked at the applications, a new and and determined who was a good candidate.

So, you know, this time next year or, I guess, earlier in the year, because a session is going to be earlier next yea if there's no resolution, this if it's still a stalemate, will you bring your bill back and be more insistent?

Maybe I will bring it back.

I was pretty insistent this year, so it's hard to say more, but, something's got to be done.

I mean, honestly, this bleeds over in in the hemp products.

People look for the alternative that medical cannabis hasn't been established.

And that makes sense.

Yeah, this product was there, and they assumed that i they could take these products, even though they weren't regulated and verified for purity, they thought it was an alternative.

And if you looked, everybod that came to the public hearings were there about, how this was giving them health benefits.

And they talked about their back pain there.

You know, everything from insomnia to whatever.

And, it wasn't people complaining about their dress didn't fit from the hemp product.

It was about how they were getting some medical benefit.

And this is the same principle.

So we need to get the medical cannabis up and going.

Switching gears, IVF, you also authored the law.

That was the fix, if you will, after the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that closed it, that led to the closure of clinics.

Right.

Or they stopped there.

Sure.

IVF treatments y'all passed a law t to make sure they were protected and all that.

When that happened, I remember there were lots of folks, especially Democrats who said, well, this isn't over.

We, you know, w this law didn't fix everything.

So we're going to be back an we're going to have to fix this.

We didn't see that this year.

It is really gone smoothly.

In fact, you had a group, come to the state House this year.

I guess it was on the anniversary.

Yeah.

To say thank you.

And they were actually bringing babie who had been born as a result.

That's a good feeling.

Well, I was going to say, is that a good sign that the law does have staying power?

Oh, I think it does.

I think that that law, it was very simplistic.

It wasn't complicated and it just simply got them back in the clinics and these individuals and families who were willing to, to have another child got back in the program and think it was a good, a good solution for a very, difficult problem.

I mean, there's a lot of ethical questions that still remain out there.

Nobody wants to have a baby in a in a test tube somewhere in suspension.

And and that's what the concerns have been.

And, there have to be guardrails.

There have to be limit.

Yeah.

And, and I well, I don't know if there have to be, but maybe there ought to be.

Yeah.

But those questions that are deep subjects that need to be analyzed and looked at, but in my mind, they're not pressing issues.

We need to help these individuals that have been struggling for years to have a child, to be able to have them.

You think we might see a federa fix to that one day, or is it?

Would that kind of, I don't know, b better if it was a federal law?

Well, I'd have to see the law to say it would be better.

But, you know, it's hard to say to say it.

I mean, but it could be.

Yeah.

Well, look, thanks for your time today.

We're out of time.

Good luck with the last session coming back on Wednesday, and we will see you then.

Sounds great.

Always a pleasure.

Thank you.

Senator.

Thank you.

We'll be right back.

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Welcome back to Capitol Journal.

Joining me next is State Representative Barbara Drummond from mobile.

Representativ thanks for coming on the show.

Well, thank you for having me.

It's been a big week for you because, all right, for three years I've had you on the show and we've been talking about your vaping bill.

Right, bill?

Trying to crack down on teen vaping and every year I ask, you know, is this going to be the year?

It's going to be the year?

Well, now we can say it is the year because you have successfully passed your vaping bill.

So congratulations.

Thank you.

Sure.

It feels good.

It feels wonderful.

Third.

Third time's the charm.

There you go.

I am I am more than grateful, because this is one that we did because we're trying to sav the lives of the children.

And.

And I think that's why I've kept this bill alive for so many years.

Because it was never about me or trying to get credit.

It was about saving lives and and the moment we passed the bill yesterday, I thought about a strang young man who's no longer with us, who's now deceased.

And I got a call three years ago from the superintendent in Dallas County notifying me that a young man had died from vaping because his vape pipe was laced with fentanyl.

And his spirit has been with me ever since.

Because I couldn't let this go.

Because I just could not bear the thought of another young perso losing their lives from vaping.

I mean, we don't know what is in these fake pipes.

And and so I'm gratified that we finally, we finally did something for the children of Alabama.

I can't say that enough.

That's what this is always has been about for me, is just safeguard the welfare of and the health of those children.

Absolutely.

I wanted to ask because the bill has changed over the years, many amendments, many substitutes.

I mean, it's really gone through the wringer.

So now that it's going t the governor, if she signs it.

Walk me through the basics of what this iteration of the bill does.

But first, we're not going to say if she signs, she's going to sign, right.

Yeah.

Well, well, so would the Senate pu a number of changes in the bill?

One that was very, very noticeable.

They have pretty much taken these products out of all convenience and grocery store with the exception of of items that have already received FDA approval, which is not a large number.

And the part tha I think I'm more gratified about is that they increase the fees, for those stores.

All of those products will now have to be sold in 21 and up.

So they're pretty much put them in adult stores where you will have to have an ID in order to buy those products.

So we what we did on yesterday, they put, a change in the bill that actually help us to better regulate, vaping in the state of Alabama in addition to the fees.

My original bill was about $2.5 million.

They've increased those fees, and we're probably going to be well over $5 million, which means now ABC and Alia will have enough resources to aggressively regulat vaping in the state of Alabama.

I was going to ask, so it gives, the ABC board regulatory authority, an they have enforcement mechanisms to kind of lik they do for cigarets and things.

Exactly.

I mean, that was always in the original bill, but they did not have the resources to be able to go out and to enforce.

Now they have those resources.

In addition to that I guess another part that they they change, but I'm still happy with it, is that we now we've take the more punitive side out for, for young people where we were going to give them a $50 fine that it's been taken out.

But but the part that I am really happy about when, when those children violate on school campuses and they will, we now have gestation classes that the Department of Ed will have to do.

And those children, along with their parents, will have to go throug those classes to educate them on all of the detrimental things that are inside vapes and what it will do to your body.

And so I'm happy abou the education component as well.

So I'm I'm really, really happy that we finally have gotten something past that.

We can ensure the welfare of these young people.

They will be put in 21 enough stores, and even what is being sold at the convenience stores and grocery stores still will have to be sold to individuals that are 21 and up.

So those FDA approved?

Yeah.

Well, speaking of the convenience stores, they had a lot of pushback on this bill.

They thought because that's their business and, you know, agree or disagree with the product itself and that's, you know, going to cost them money.

So what do you say?

What was your argument back to the as this bill was going through, you know, understanding it might hurt their industry?

Well, I didn't know.

I didn't know I got the bill through the House.

I got it through the Senate committee, and the Senate took that.

I mean, I have to say, the convenience stores, the grocers and the wholesalers, I applaud them because they worked with me, worked with me for three years on this bill.

None of us knew of the changes that was going to be put in the bill.

And I, I, I fought for the amendment that would give them the ability to sell those items that had have been, approved.

So I still get to sell like I'm thinking of, like Jewel or some of, like, the more mainstream brands.

Well, that they're mostl those items that are on the FDA registry that you will find that are American made items.

What this bill further does is that those items, and they usually are very cheap items where you find tha you know, not what is in them.

I mean, formaldehyde, all of those bad ingredients, foreign made, foreign made, coming out of China, coming out of Mexico.

This bill now mandates that those items can no longer come into Alabama, into our market.

Alabama has taken a giant step on yesterday with the passage of this piece of legislation.

Well, again, congratulations.

It's been a long time coming.

You deserve a lot of credit for hanging in there when it's easy to give up after a couple of years on legislation.

We're out of time.

But, representative, I guess we'll see you back on Wednesday for signing up.

That's right.

And I'm happy because I finall get it across the finish line.

Third year is the chance.

Well, thank you for hanging in there with me.

Absolutely happy to have you.

Thanks again.

We'll be right back.

Montgomery native Percival Julian was an internationally acclaimed chemist, the third African-American to receive a Ph.D. in chemistry.

He specialized in the chemistry of natural products and their synthesis in the laboratory.

This technology is very important in medicines, food products, paint and firefighting foams, among other things.

Julian received many awards, including election to the National Academy of Sciences and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

That's our show for tonight.

Thanks for watching.

No show tomorrow night.

As the legislature has left town.

We will return Friday night and Sunday at noon for capital Journal's Week in Review here on Alabama Public Television for our Capital Journal team.

I'm Todd Stacey.

We'll see you next time.