From our state House studio in Montgomery.

I'm Todd Stacey, welcome to Capitol Journal.

We are approaching the finish line of the Alabama Legislature's 2025 regular session.

The House and Senate met for the 28th and 29th legislative days this week.

They'll reconvene on Wednesday for the 30th and final day before adjourning signing day.

It has been a slog of a session in which lawmakers have found it difficult to get their bills to final passage.

That began to change this week, as the Senate on Tuesday ended its logjam and began passing legislation at a rapid pace.

One high profile bill receiving final passage this week was another $0.01 reduction to the state sales tax on groceries.

You may remember two years ago, the legislature passed a bill eliminating $0.01 off the state's four cent sales tax on food, with a process to cut the rest of the tax incrementally given sufficient revenue.

That never happened.

So this year, lawmakers passed House Bill 386 from state Representativ Danny Garrett to lower the sales tax on food from 3% to 2%, effective September 1st.

Senator Andrew Jones, whos back to the measure throughout, explained why lawmakers felt now was the right time to move forward with this tax relief.

You may remember we passed legislation, two years ago, to basically take down a penny, at a time.

We took off the first cent, the second cent was going to come off when we hit a growth metric of 3.5%.

We have not met that.

But our budget chairma feel comfortable in going ahead and moving forwar with taking that next cent off of the grocery tax.

It's a big deal.

It's a big tax cut.

I think the fiscal note is 121.9 million.

Also on its wa to the governor's desk is House Bill 166 from State Representative Lee Hulsey, known as the Focus Act.

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

Supporters, including Governor Kay Ivey, argue cell phones are a distraction to learning and contribute to discipline and emotional problems.

During debate in the Senate.

State Senator Chris Elliott again proposed an amendment to allo limited parent student contact.

But State Senato Donny Chastain, who is carrying the bill in the Senate, urged lawmakers to reject it.

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

I would, urge members to think 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 abl 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 school 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.

Also receiving final passage this week is legislatio known as the Speedy Trial Act.

House Bill 307 from Stat Representative Jim Hill empowers the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court to appoint visiting judges from other circuits or retired judge to preside over specific violent crime cases upon request from the Attorney General or from a district attorne championed by Attorney General Steve Marshall.

The bill marks a significan step forward towards addressing the state's backlog of violent crime cases.

Marshall's chief counsel, Kathryn Robertson, emphasized that the legislation was introduced in response to persistent concerns about continuances and violent crime cases, which have led to significant bottlenecks in certain judicial circuits.

Mounting frustration among victims.

We decided to bring i because of repeated complaints, specifically about continuances in violent crime cases.

There are significan bottlenecks in certain circuits in our state where violent crime cases are not moving quickly and victims are getting frustrated.

And so we had a global law enforcement meeting in Birmingham, last summer, where we discussed kind of all the challenges that people were facing.

And backlogged cases just kept coming up.

So that was the impetus for this.

How will impact crime victims?

Look, it's not going to solve every case.

It's not going to make every case move quickly.

But the ones that have been sitting for a particularly long time that the Da or the AG really have on their radar as a priority, we hope this will mea that those get moving quickly.

The house this week took up and passed Senate Bill 10 from State Senator Larry Stutts which raises the age o medical consent from 14 to 18.

This includes decisions on vaccines and mental health counseling.

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

The bill was carried in the House by State Representative Susan DuBose.

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.

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 was amended in the House, and we'll have to go bac to the Senate for final passage.

Lawmakers passe two bills aimed at cracking down on youth access to vaping and THC products.

Supporters say the changes are long overdue, as concerns over the health risks tied to these products continue to grow.

Capitol Journal's Jeff Sanders has that story.

Vape pens and THC products like Delta eight could soon become much harder for Alabama teens to get.

A bill passed by.

Lawmakers would ban self-serve vape displays and vending machines in places minors can have access.

It also restricts sales to specialty vape shops unless the product is FDA approved.

Representative Barbara Drummond, who's pushed for this change over several sessions, say it's a matter of public health and protecting young people.

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 safeguarding the welfare of and the health of those children.

The Senate made changes that increase penalties for retailers who violate the law, while easing penalties for minors caught with vape products.

Senator Davi Sessions says the bill is about protecting families and ending a dangerous trend among young people.

But this is about our children.

I have five huge reasons, five huge reasons to pass this piece of legislation.

My grandchildren.

Yeah.

So, you know, I say it is honor to be able to drop this bill.

House Bill 445 takes aim at consumable THC products.

It raises the purchase age to 21, imposes a 10% tax.

Caps THC at ten milligrams per servin and requires retailer licensing.

The bill also limits where products can be sold, allowing them only in specialty shops or restricted areas of large grocery stores.

Senator Tim Melson says the bill is a response to repeated abuse, including students overdosing at school.

About 3 or 4 weeks ago, our DEA, arrested six convenience store operators in one day, and they got several more that they're on a watch list, but they're it's a problem, and it's unnecessary problem.

As we all know, the hemp bill was never intended for consumption.

It was all about, economics, such as paper, rope and, clothing.

Lawmakers say enforcement will be key, especially as THC products continue to evolve.

And for Drummond, the issue is personal.

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 m 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.

When signed into law, both bills would take effect later this year.

Reporting from the Statehouse in Montgomery.

I'm Jeff Sanders for Capitol Journal.

Thank you Jeff.

The House has spent much of its time this sessio waiting on a bogged down Senate.

This week, that began to change as a flurry of legislation started moving.

Capital journal's Randy Scot reports on some of the notable action from the House.

The regular session is wrapping up, but the bills keep coming.

The lower chamber hosted a debate on Senate Bill five, which seeks to restructure the Alabama Department of Archives, use the board of director to make it more in line with the our other tw flagship museums in the state, the battleship and the Rocket Center.

But this amendment would just take the Senate confirmations away from the from the portion of the bill I support.

You know, the speakers, the speaker being able to make an appointment without going through confirmations.

I don't I don't think we have to rubberstamp that.

Senate Bill five is approved.

The House agrees with changes to House Bill 386 addressing reducing the state tax on groceries.

Well, this is great.

I think that we've reduced the grocery tax now 50%.

We're still one of th few states that taxes groceries.

We're headed, I think, toward zero tax on groceries or something kind of 50%.

The House Democratic Caucus makes observations on action this session and look ahead to topics for next session.

They want to know what we are doing to combat the rising cost of living, increase access to affordable health care, and ensurin that our communities are safe.

We are still paying grocery taxes in Alabama when a dozen eggs now call $6.

That's why, as we come to the end of this session, it's vita that we speak out against this and show the people of Alabama that there is a better way forward.

But what is bothersom is the extreme partizan process that has infected our community, our committees, and the intense focus on who gets the credit.

Instead, our focus should always be on what's good for the people who sent us here to serve, not who's name happens to be on the top of the bill, especially when it was neve their bill in the first place.

I introduced the Alabam Voting Rights Act this session, and why I will continue to fight for legislation to protect our most fundamental rights as citizens and our sacred right to vote.

Want criminal justice bill up for debate?

Is Senate Bill 88 dealing with expungement?

SB 88 deals with the ability to expunge a prior criminal conviction.

What this bill doe is, is amends that to basically say that if no objection to the petition is filed, the court may set the matter for a hearing.

The process, as we have it now.

Yes, ma'am.

What does that look like?

If there's no objection filed, it's a shell.

A shell of a shell.

Grant.

Now, just says the court may grant.

Okay.

Senate bill 88 passes at the Alabama statehouse.

Randy Scott, Capitol Journal.

Thank you.

Randy.

He mentioned that bil dealing with the state archives and history Board and the amendment that was placed on it that ended up being prett consequential because instead of final passage, the bill had to go back upstairs to the Senate, where state Senator Roger Smitherman got another chance to filibuster the bill.

He objected to the amendment, saying he did not want to relinquish the Senate authority to confirm nominees to the board.

The result was a two hour filibuster that made it made it difficult to move any legislation.

And they goin to take Senate confirmation of.

You can't take Senate confirmation.

We are you know, they're just they 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 as to what we got to do, but no, I'm not going to agree to that.

I'm not going to let that let whoever that might be be wild and willy nilly and just star throwing folks in the way of who 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.

Another bill.

Just one step away fro final passage is an immigration bill prioritized by Republicans this session.

Senate Bill 53 from State Senator Wes Kitchens would establish the crime of human smuggling and provide penalties for harboring and transporting illegal immigrants.

State Representative Ben Robbins carried it in the House where it passed this week.

It codifies a practice the jail administrators are already doing now in terms of reporting illegal immigrant detainees and verifying their immigration status.

And the second thin it does, it creates the crime of human smuggling which is knowingly transporting an illegal immigrant for commercial purposes.

I have a sub.

Sorry.

That sub amends the, amends exceptions, which allows for health care providers and any person operating, for commercial and religious purposes.

They are not guilt of committing the crime of human smuggling.

For I' even using my own personal car.

That would still be considered commercial if I was transporting someone that was illegal.

And if you know, if you know that person is illegal immigrant, then, yes, it would be.

How would that person know I mean that?

So you saying it's a responsibility if you're helping someone that you check and say before you get in my car, are you legal?

No.

Because you're helping that person.

You're doing it for charitable or religious purposes.

A reason, not for a commercial motive.

That bill was amended in the House and now must go back to the Senate for final passage.

Well, as bills passed the legislature, they head to the governor's desk.

And this week, Governor Kay Ivey signed some notable legislation into law.

Most notable were the General Fund and the Education Trust Fund budgets, as well as the Raise act.

That's the bill that travele alongside the education budget that modernizes the way the state will fund K through 12 public schools.

The governor said, quote, these historic investments in core functions of government and our students education are possible through our track record of conservativ budgeting and strong leadership.

The governor went on to add about the ETF.

The budgets were made officia this morning and will continue investing in proven programs like literacy and numeracy.

It will support our Turnaround Schools initiative to target some of our lowest performing schools in quote.

Also signed into law is Lulu's Law House bill 198 from State Representative David Faulkner establishes a new shark alert system that warns beachgoers when a shark has bitten someone in the vicinity.

It's named for Lulu Griffin, a mountain Brook teenager who was attacked by a shark last year, losing a leg and part of her arm.

There's Lulu right there with Governor Kay Ivey.

Her father on the end, Representative Faulkner, Senator Dan Roberts Representative David Faulkner.

Yeah, Faulkner there, and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter.

Lulu has turned her traumatic experience into advocacy, urging lawmakers at the federal and state levels to take action.

The state will set up an aler system similar to Amber alerts that will buzz the phones of any beachgoers in the vicinity of a recent shark attack.

Also now law is Senate Bill 119 which is a key plank in Governor Ivey's safe Alabama crime prevention platform.

It does a number of different things.

First, it creates new prohibition on the possession of a firearm.

It will now be a class C felony for someone to possess a firearm if they have been convicted of any felony offense within the past five years, or three felony offenses at one time.

It will now be a class C felony for someone to possess a firearm while out on bail awaiting trial for a violent offense.

It also increases penalties for shooting into homes.

It will now be a class A felony for someone to shoot into an occupied dwelling.

And it has stricter rules for parolees when it comes to firearms.

It will be easier to sanction probationers and parolees found in possession of a firearm.

And it includes an expansion of a nine year law.

That's the constitutional amendment allowing judges to deny bail fo those accused of violent crimes.

That list of crimes would be expanded to include shooting into an occupied dwelling or solicitation attempt or conspiracy to commit murder.

Juneteenth is now officially, officially a state holiday.

Governor Ivey signed into law House Bill 165 from State Representative Rick Ream.

It codifies Juneteenth as an official state holiday.

Juneteenth, of course, commemorates June 19th, 1865.

Today, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned from Union soldiers that they were free.

The day commemorate the end of slavery in America.

Ivey, for the last four years has used her executive powers to designate Juneteenth as a state holiday.

The legislation will make that designation permanent.

Let's take a look at other bills signed into law this week, starting with House Bill 159 from State Representative Joe Lovern.

It updates the governance structure of the US Spac and Rocket Center in Huntsville, adding the governor as a commission member, adjusting links of member terms and imposing term limits.

Senate Bill 330 from Stat Senator Dan Roberts reconstitute the Birmingham Waterworks Board to include members outside the city of Birmingham in areas the system services.

It also gives the Governor and Lieutenant Governor appointments to that board.

Some in the city of Birmingham are upset about the bill, and a lawsuit has already been filed to challenge it.

And House Bill 447 from State Representative David Faulkner.

This is the Farm Bureau Health Plans bill that will allo the Alabama Farmers Federation to sell health benefits plans to its members.

With just one meeting day remaining in the session, lawmakers are running out of time to pass remaining legislation.

Wednesday'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 this week about what to expect when senators return to Montgomery for that final day next Wednesday.

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 goin into the last legislative day.

No one exactly what's in front of us?

About trying to start fighting back and forth and go on in the cloud to remote.

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 Senat that we're going to focus on to, 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 to take care of our members here.

And the members in the House has been with being a long day 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.

It's going to be quite a final day of the session.

The Alabama State Department of Education announced the 2025 2026 teacher of the year and alternate Teacher of the year this week, during a ceremony at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Katie Collins, a teache at Bluff Park Elementary School in Hoover, has been named teacher of the year.

With this title, Collins will serve as the state's ambassador for public education and the teaching profession.

Collin has been teaching for 20 years.

Her teaching career has included first grade, middle, and high school.

She's taught French and English as a second language for elementary school students and adult courses, and Aubrey Bennett, a teacher at the Birmingham City School Systems.

George Washington Carver High School was named the 2025 2026 Alternate State Teacher of the year, so the 2526 Alternate State Teacher of the Year and Secondary Teache of the year is Aubrey Bennett.

George Washington City the.

The 2526 Alabama Teacher of the Year and Elementary Teacher of the year is Katie Collins.

You for?

Congratulations.

We look forward to having them on spotlight on education.

Next month.

Big news this week for the long awaited mobile River bridge and Bay way project.

The Alabama Department of Transportation this week announce it was formally moving forward with the project with the firm Kiewit Mashman trailer.

That marks a significant milestone for getting the project underway.

But just a few hours after that announcement, the news got even better.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that it will releas the $550 million federal grant that was awarded last year to fund the construction of the project.

That was a key piece of the puzzle.

The state has been waiting for.

Toni Harris of Alden says, quote, we appreciate the commitment of Secretary Duffy and the Trump administration to expedite the completion of the funding process for the $550 million grant for the mobile River bridge.

With this commitment, this is another positive step toward the completion of the mobile River bridge and Bay way project.

News on redistricting this week, a three judge panel a the Northern District of Alabama has affirmed its initial ruling that Alabama must use the congressional map drawn by a special master last year and imposed by the court.

The federal judges ruled that the legislature intentionally diluted the voting strength of black voters when it drew congressional lines back in 2023, the judges blocked Alabama from using a state drawn map that they said flouted their directive to draw a pla that was fair to black voters.

Alabama must continue using the court ordered ma for the remainder of the decade.

The decision was not a surprise, because the panel had already ruled twice that the state, laid a rule against the state twice previously.

But remember that the US Supreme Court is expected to take up a simila case from Louisiana this term.

That could be instructive toward how redistricting is done in the future.

Coming up after the break, I'll be joined by House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter.

Stay with us.

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Alabama's Gulf Coast is renowned for its white sand beaches bordering the Gulf of Mexico.

It is an important part of the quality of life for many of the state' citizens, and one of the state's greatest economic and environmental assets.

The white, sandy beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Dauphin Island are popular vacation destinations for Alabamians and out-of-state tourists.

The fine quality of the san and gentleness of the surf make for some of the prettiest beaches in the world, and are the top tourist destination in the state.

You're watching Alabama Public Television celebrating 70 years of service to Alabama.

Welcome back to Capital Journal.

Do you want to be next speaker of the House, Nathaniel Ledbetter.

Mr. speaker Thanks for coming on the show.

It's good to be here.

As always.

Well, here we are at the end of session.

I know there's one day left coming back on Wednesday, but we're pretty much, you know, at the end.

I wanted to ask you.

I mean, it's been a slog.

It's been a pretty impactful session.

What are your biggest takeaways in terms of how would you grade really the session?

Yeah, I think it was a good session that I was going to really great.

And I'd give it a I mean, you know, we passed some tough legislation this year, some it needed to be passed.

And so I'm it helps the state.

So the members always got to give credit to them because you know, if we look at the number of hours we've spent in the chamber, it's just like the tip of the iceberg.

I mean, because I spent so much time in committees and in meetings and working on bills and then know we've passed some good legislation is going to impac for the state for years to come.

So speaking of working on bills, Chairman Rex Reynolds has put a lot of time into that crime bill is under there's a big crime package, but that big one.

202 I mean, he has put a lot of hours into that.

There's some disagreement upstairs.

Democrats pushing back really hard.

Do you think that one's going to get over the finish line at the end of the day?

Yeah, I feel good about it I think so I mean I mean I'm been work with pro tem on that bill.

And yeah that's one of the bills.

We had the crime packag we put together early with the with the governor and our staff and their staff work closely together to get that package put together.

I think it's impactful.

Let the people wires uniform across the state that protects us everyday, day in and day out, that we have their backs.

And so that's what we're trying to do.

And I think that bill that, Chairman Reynolds has got is one that proves that, you know, when we looked at those bills and was looking at the package to move them out, I selected them to cure for a reason.

Because of his background of being the chief police there in Huntsville and his passion for the people that are the uniform.

So I'm hopeful that we get it, that I feel like we will.

So we'll wait and see.

That was on display in committee.

His experience as a forme chief of police in Huntsville.

I'm in a major city righ where these issues do come up.

And, I do think that experience is a lot better than just, you know, having an idea about a bill.

He has some experience.

Well, speaking of that, around this time of session, really more last week but there's always this tension between the House and the Senate, because how many House bills as the Senate passed, I mean, the Senate bills that the House has, of course the Senate has different rules and they get bottled up pretty easy.

But are we in a better place now in terms of the flow of legislation?

Is everybody kind of worked out their differences?

Yeah I think so.

For the most part.

I mean, you're always going to have 1 or 2 that's not going to be here because we can't pass all the bills that we get.

And we'll probably have close to a thousand bills as file this year.

We'll probably pass 2250 or 300.

And, you know, there's so many Senate bills has been filed probably aren't going to get passed for different reasons.

You know, maybe it these work on them.

We had some this week.

It's kind of interesting the the what.

You know today in the session you see some of the bills that's been out there 2 or 3 years.

And Terry Collins passed one yesterday for hospital credits that she'd been working on for three years.

So it happens.

I mean, you know, if it's a good bill and we continue to work and try to make it the best you can be, eventually you'll see it back.

Immigration has been a focus, this session those bills have really started to move here at the last couple of days.

Talk about why that's been a priority.

I know that.

I mean, you had a change in the administration, so there's a lot more enforcement from the federal level.

Are these bills still necessary, given the enforcement?

Well, yeah I certainly think it's changed.

You know, and with Newt ministration the border has been pretty much stop shut down flow of coming i our country has been taken over from the border.

And so we felt like every state had become a border state because of that.

And that's why we had the number of bills we had.

Of course, we had a lot of paperwork on them there.

And also this season and Ben Robbins being one of them, they worked extremely hard wor with a group of house members.

And and we got some of those bills out.

We passed a couple of bills in the House yesterday from the Senate.

Suspect they'll be passing some next week in the, in the Senate that we've sent up there.

And so we probably won't I don't know that we'll get I think there was 12 bill package between the two probably won't get all those out.

But I think the major ones of that package that protects the border, beyond Alabama and inside the state of Alabama, I think those will get across the finish line.

I actually spoke with Mr. Robbins earlier in the session.

I guess it was at the very beginning when the bills were first starting to get filed, and I asked him, you know, are you confident that these won't run into legal trouble?

Because I was, you know, reminded of 2011 when the, HB 56 was passed and all that.

So are you all confident I, I assume there will be lawsuits over some of this stuff, but, have you all buttoned up legally and constitutionally with all these immigration proposals?

Yeah.

I mean, I think I feel as good as you can feel about it.

I mean, it doesn't matter.

As you know, you've been here a while.

Any bill that we passed is subject to litigation.

And those are certainly no different nail bands.

Pretty sharp.

I mean, he's a smart attorney and and we got smart attorneys at work to draft those bills.

So I feel good about what we've done.

You know, will I be litigated?

I mean, there's always possibility, you know, of anybody obeying litigated.

But I think, they they've done a lot of work on those.

And I feel good about where they've got them.

He seemed to think that there were some lessons learned from that experience.

You know, and certainly the people that write the bills are still around, you know, legislative staff and all that.

Switching gears, let's talk about tax cuts.

It's kind of two things happening at one time.

You've got the overtime tax cut, going away, sunsetting and then there are a number of tax new tax cuts that y'all are implementing.

Could talk about that.

I mean, let's start I guess with the grocery tax.

Write that one more penn off the sales tax on food right.

Yeah that's a big deal I mean that affects everybody.

Everybody in the, state of Alabama.

And it's not a pick and choose.

We're not picking winners and losers.

Everybody that goes and buy groceries are going to benefit from that.

You know, it cuts it in half where we're at $0.04 now.

It's going to go down to two.

It's a big deal.

You know, families across state of Alabama is going to save almost $400, because of those cuts in the last two years.

So I mean, that's almost two weeks groceries for most families.

It is.

So groceries are prices have been rising.

Right.

So I really I feel good about it.

I'd like to be able to do away with all of that.

And I think eventually if we keep working on it, we will.

One of the things that come out of the Senate just toda was the personal property tax, which is something I think is the most egregious bill that we've got.

And so as a freshman, I file a bill to try to do away with.

Then as former business owner, you know, it's kind of aggravating to have to itemize every year something you've already paid tax on.

And we did away with some of that about three years ago.

And I think the bill came down out of the Senate will do away with a little more of it.

Again, as a grocery tax.

I'd like to see that go away.

So, it helps small businesses across the state.

And I think it's positive on the education front, it was a busy session.

Always This is kind of the top issue.

You know, every year.

A couple of things.

Number one, the raise act, I keep saying that long term that's going to be one of the biggest deals, you know, biggest pieces of legislation really passed in a couple of years.

Talk about how that came about, because I know, that your chairman spent a lot of time on that.

Members of those committees spent a lot of time on that.

What was it like in caucus and with members kind of walking through?

Because change can be tough.

Changin the funding model can be tough.

Some talk about how tha actually won over the members.

Well, I you know, Chairman Garrett does a great job and we're fortunate to have him in that position.

And he and central are worked closely together.

And we knew just through the what other states had done that our model was outdated.

I mean, the for that we put together for funding our schools was over 30 years ago.

So it was time for change.

And to look at what they di once the members understood it, and it was weighted toward those programs that needed the most, where there's a poverty area where it's the students are our flexibility that gives the superintendent put mone where they needed special needs, especially for special needs and gifted.

And, you know, also, it does give some flexibility to the superintendents.

And so I thought that was really important.

And the way that they explained the bil and the way it was brought down, I think our members understood a lot of a lot of those districts.

Everybody, everybody got the same amount of money.

But because of the way they did it, most districts got more money than they would have gotten.

So this was a good year, I think, for schools across state K through 12.

And and, you know, not only that, but that that was mostly the that program was in that K-12 model.

But, you know, we we had a good budget this year is good for all the schools across state, higher ed and to your colleges as well.

So I think it was good.

The thing, the good thin that we're going to get to see, you know, how it works and how positive it is, but everything I've talked to some superintendents across the state, it's been very positive.

Yeah, a significant accomplishment maybe doesn't get enough attention, but that's what we're talking about.

Yeah.

That's right.

Yeah.

Paid parental leave for both state employees and for teachers.

It's actually a pretty big change because before, if you, you know, had a baby, adopted a baby, whatever.

You're taking vacation time.

That's right.

You take an unpaid time off, maybe borrowing hours and things like that.

But now there will be paid parental leave for state employees and, and for teachers and education workers.

Talk about that as a as an accounting.

Yeah.

I think it is a big deal.

You know, most of the families are start out and have have started their family with young kids.

It's tough sometimes just to make ends meet and being able to give them parental leave, in the education department and also and just a workforce across the state.

It's a big deal.

And certainly believe for the young men and women, it's that's how it start in the family.

You know, I think it helps just if you put that together with the grocery tax and some other things we've done, I think it's important for the people in the state and certainly important for state workers.

Also, workers comp, it's almost kind of related.

It's one of those things that it's almost surprising we haven't had it.

Yeah, yeah.

When they come and talk to me about that last year, actually it's first time I'd heard about it.

I was shocked at the way our workman's comp worked, and it really didn't work.

You know, we had a three member board and they really didn't have an money to pay claims, basically.

And so once we got to digging int it is something I can't believe we hadn't already fixed.

But I'm glad we fixed it this year.

And of course, I think the governor's already signed that bill.

So, it's important for our employees again.

I mean, I think this was a good year for employees, just like the teachers.

You know, we didn't wasn't able to give the pay, raise the employees issue that we gave in.

And given in the past.

But we did pay for PTO, which if you look at the numbers from a dollar amount, that's about 4.5% pay raise that there, you know, that's money they didn't have to take out of their pocket.

So we were happy to do that.

And I think it's positive for our employees.

Right.

And just to explain thei their dip, their costs went up and the legislature funded that balance rather than because otherwise they would have had to pay higher, insurance costs out of their pocket.

I mean, the thing about it is, when you look at across the board what we've tried to do, and you can't let one thing take over what we've done for them on the other side.

So, you know, if it's parental leave or if it's workman's comp or if it's the grocery tax, even if yo if you let a insurance increase come into effect, it's going to eat up the saving that they've got on those side.

So I thought it was important.

And to me, you know, as a if I was an employee, that's you don't get that taxed.

So really it's a better pay raise, this thing that instead of having to pay it out of your pocket.

So I feel like it was strong.

Well, and it also is a reminder I always try to explain this to folks when, you know, everybody loves a tax cut, but it also impacts revenue.

Nobody likes educatio cuts or cuts to side agencies.

So y'all are constantly doing a balancing act between okay, how much can we cut to where it doesn' actually impact significantly.

You know, state budgets.

It's not probably not easy.

It's not eas I mean, you know, and the prime example, let's be honest with you is overtime tax.

If something I supported, you know, I thought it was a good bill.

You know the fiscal note we got was $30 million.

Well the wound up it' going to be like $320 million.

What people's got to understand is that $320 million comes out of the classroom.

It comes away from students, teachers and schools across the state.

I mean, we got schools in our state that is in desperate repair as far as construction or the building.

And so that money could be spent for a new classroom or they spent to update classroom or tear down some of these old classrooms in rural Alabama.

So it's not that easy.

I mean, you if you just had all the money in the world, that would be great.

But we don't.

I think you gotta be fiscally conservative.

I think that's why we're in the shape more than from a budgetary standpoint.

It's because we have been fiscally conservative and that proves it.

I think with the two budgets we had this year.

But you got to be mindful of that.

You know, you can't throw all you can't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

So saying is so I think it's important that we understand, you know, i we went with the full limitation of the overtime tax, it would've been something.

Would that have been taken away from from education.

When I had you on at th very beginning of the session, I think it was actually before the session, I asked you about your new counterpart in the Senate, Garlan Gardner pro tem Garland Gardner, because he was coming into the job.

Brendan, I think I asked you what advice you had for him, something like that.

But now we're you know, a session through it.

And how did how did John's working relationship go?

Has been great.

I've really enjoyed workin with him.

He's done a good job.

It's got to be a tough situation.

How many do you think they were testing him?

A little bit, maybe.

Maybe, you know.

And then you come in on the very first da session starts and get elected.

I mean, you think about that.

He didn't have a chance, said his, chairman.

He didn't have a chance to sa it, his employees or his staff.

And so that's that's tough.

But I think he navigated the water pretty well.

I mean, I gave him credit for what he's done.

And, you know, the one thing I will sa is we stay in touch constantly.

Just before we come on the air, he and I were talking about the schedule for next week and what were we going to do?

And some things.

It's moving in both chambers, so, I've enjoyed working with him.

I think he's going to do a good job.

And I think the people of Alabama, with the work relationship we had and with the governor, I think we're going to have a good outcome in the last year of the quadrennial.

Before I let you go, let's talk about SLC, colloquially known as th Southern Legislative Conference.

You're the chairman this year.

So that means we get to host it here in Alabama, right?

It's in Birmingham in July.

Talk about the planning he goes into that and what a I don't know chance this i to showcase our state to other, counterparts of yours and other lawmakers from other states.

Oh yeah.

There's no question about that.

SLC is one of my favorite organizations, and that's why I got involved years ago.

And when they asked me to co-chair and then the chair of the organization, you got 15 southern states.

I think it's honor, first of all, to be selecte by those 15 states to chair it.

But what was important to m and the reason I decided to take the role i I just feel like over the past few years, the last decade, we've made so many strides in Alabama from our economy, and now we'r seeing it now and or education.

We see it in that our infrastructure and broadband, everything.

And I think it's important for people across the Sout and across the country to know Alabama is not the old Alabama.

You know, we are the new Alabama.

If you look at where we're at and research, if you look at what's going on in Huntsville, in mobile, it's amazing.

I mean you and I grew up in this state.

And to see what's happening we all should going with pride to see what our state's doing.

So I want other states to see we're not the old Alabama.

We're the new Alabama.

And our staff has worked diligently to try to put this together.

We've been working out for over a year and it's coming up in July, and we've got a really great, program going on.

I'm so excited bringing peopl in from across different states.

I was with the speaker Kentucky, this last weekend and.

Oh, yeah, I heard you went to the Kentucky.

Yeah, first time bucket list.

So about the, yeah.

Here.

They had invited this up pro-tem and the speaker invited this up and had a great time.

And they were gracious hosts.

And and we look forward to returning the favor at SLC in July.

Okay.

Maybe even bring him down to Talladega or something.

Well, I think he might get to see us Motor Speedway.

Oh, that's right, that's right.

Barbara motorsport.

Well, we're excited because Capital Journal's going to be there.

We're going to be on location at SLC.

There will I'm really looking forward.

Obviously, we'll, have conversation with you but your colleagues and others from other states and bring those to our Capital Journal.

Oh, yeah, I'm excited about that.

I want I do want, you know, speakers and pro temps and governors or lieutenant governor' from other states is going to be there is give you a chance to talk to them.

Appreciate your working it out to be part of it.

I think it's big deal we're looking forward to.

And I think, you know, that helps us not only with the people coming there, Todd, but with having you guys there to showcase what we're doing, and having those people to come in and see it.

I mean, the first day registration, we had the largest registration that they had had on the first day.

So we had over 500.

We suspect tha we'll probably have 1700 people coming in from those 15 states.

So it's it's pretty exciting.

I better hurry up.

Get my hotel room.

All right.

Yeah.

That's right, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you for your time.

Good luck.

The last day of session.

And, guess we'll see you on Wednesday.

Absolutely.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

We'll be right back.

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The USS Alabama is a World War Two era battleship that first served in the Atlantic theater, but was better known for helping to take Japanese held islands in the Pacific between 1943 and 1945.

During the battle of the Philippine Sea, the Alabama State of the Art radar alerted the fleet to incoming aircraft, providing the American enough time to scramble fighters and decimate the attacking force.

Later, the Alabama serve during the Battle of Lady Gulf and anchored in Tokyo Bay t unload Allied occupation forces.

In 1964, the state of Alabama took possession of the battleship Alabama.

School children raised $100,000 in nickels and dimes to help bring the ship to mobile an create battleship memorial Park.

The park features the Alabama, the World War II era submarine USS Strom, and an American military aircraft collection battleship memorial Park as one of the state's most visited attractions.

You may have noticed that we do not have a story package from Washington, D.C. this week.

That's because our Washington correspondent, Alex Angle is here.

And Montgomery and joins me in studio right now.

Alex, good to have you back in Montgomery.

It's great to be back.

It's a nice little change from D.C., you know, a little bit different, but still still legislature business going on.

First taste of the Alabama legislature a little different in Congress, I would imagine.

Just a little.

But, you know, personalities in and drive is in both of the places, which is interesting to see.

I wanted to catch up with you about some politics.

You've been covering the possibility that Senator Tommy Tuberville, coach, might run for governor.

I mean, this is really big story.

And you've been reporting on this.

You follow him in the hallways and things like that.

What can you tell us about his decision making?

Yeah, well, the great thing about me being in D.C. is that when all of this new is happening, right, I'm able to to catch him in the hallways and to and to really ask what he's thinking in that moment, because we know that those things can change.

And so it's really great to be there and ask him in person, when things come up, seems pretty confiden that he's making a run for it.

I mean, he's telling everyone in the Senate, at least that he is going to be running for it.

And has having conversation with with leadership and stuff.

And we know that just this past week, when, Trump was in Alabama that he flew on Air Force One, and talked to Trump about it, I asked him, I was like, you want to give me any insight into that conversation?

And he said, you want to keep it private?

Of course.

But, you know, always wanting to see i he'll give me any information, but he seems really confident that he will run.

And he told reporters in a press call, I think, last week that he was like, an announcement is coming i like a couple weeks.

You know, he's given Memorial Day as his kind of like deadline.

And we know that' also the day that he can start fundraising for statewide office.

And so, I don't know, it be kind of weird to tease an announcement coming in a couple weeks if you're running for reelection, because he's kind of already said that he would run for reelection.

So I'm not guessing that a big announcement is, oh, I'm staying in the Senate.

You know, I think the big announcement would have to b that he is running for governor, and he seems pretty, pretty confident about it.

And again, telling everyone about it.

Yeah.

I'm really glad that you've been able to catch up with him and just ask him on the fly, you know, in person.

Now, there have been questions about double his residency, right.

Because he has those homes in Florida.

He kind of lived there before he moved back.

You've been done some reporting on this.

What can you tell us about hi residency in terms of because.

Right.

You've got a the Constitution says you have to be a resident citizen of the state for seven years, right?

Or to be a candidate fo governor or lieutenant governor.

So how does his residency line up?

Yeah, I mean, that i everyone wants to know, right?

And no one really knows for sure how the residency could play out, you know, especiall if it gets challenged in court.

So we don't know exactly what factors could be useful or not useful.

But we're using the tools that we have in the information that we have available to make our determinants of what we do know about his residency.

Right.

And so we know he has his Auburn home.

He's out in Lee County.

And so we need to kno if that's his primary residence.

Right.

Because we also kno he has residencies in Florida.

And I know there's debate on whether or not he spends more time in Florida compared to this Auburn home.

So we decided to look a the homestead exemption.

Right.

Because you can only hav a homestead exemption on a house that is your primary residence.

And so since he has had, a homestead exemption in Lee County at his home in Auburn since 2018, we found that through records requests and through contacting local offices, that he does indee have that homestead exemption.

So that could prove as one of his key points to prove his residency for seven years.

Because once we get to the 2026 election, that would be, you know, seven years.

So I think that could be one factor in his, his toolbox to prove that he has been a resident of the state for at least seven years before this election, and I talked to him about that once we found that out, and he was like, you know, I have no doubt that I meet the residency requirements.

I wouldn't even consider running for governor if he didn't meet the residency requirement.

So debatable.

On if we think this is enough.

I mean, it definitely is helpful to have this homestead exemption on the record.

And of course, he's going to use that to his advantage in terms of of making it in himself.

Know that he is confident in that.

And so he kind of reiterated that to me once we had had those records in our in our hands.

And then I kno there's also been some questions about his home in, Madison County.

And so he bought that home, I think, last year with his other son.

And so there's also a homestead exemptio on that house in Madison County.

So again, the next day I'm in the Senate I run into Senator Tuberville.

I'm going to ask him about that.

Right.

We want to clear that confusion, because if you can only have one homestead exemptio to prove your primary residence.

And then we learne that the house in Madison County also has a homestead exemption.

We want to figure out which one.

Which one are you claiming?

Right.

And so we asked him about that.

And he said that the homestead exemptions Madison County House is for his son because that is actually his son's house.

And so he does not live in that, that house.

And h maybe he'll stay with his son.

But that homestead exemption was for his son.

And it's particular kind o in the minutia details of it all is that that homestead exemption, was for people under 65.

So that wouldn't be Senator Coverdell.

That would be clarifying that that homestead exemption in that House would be for his son.

While the homestead exemption in the Auburn House is for people over 65.

So that kind of helps, kind of helps clear it up and makes that determination that he's saying, what is this son?

What is his?

It can be clear in jus the facts of the type, you know?

So that' just like a little tiny detail.

But it could be could be important down the line.

When people start unpacking this more and more.

Sure.

And tip of the cap to Mary self or some of that reporting on the homestead exemption.

She's great at those public records requests.

While I've got you real quick, I know Congress is going through the budget resolution, reconciliation process.

A lot of folks down here are wondering about Medicaid and whether they're going to be cuts to Medicaid, because that's kind of been on the table.

It sounds like they're going back and forth.

Maybe.

What can you tell us about the latest in terms o what could happen with Medicaid?

I know I really wish I had more to tell people.

And I think that that is kind of the case with with everyone, even lawmakers themselves.

Obviously, lots and lots of concern on Capitol Hill from both sides of the aisle on what exactly the future of Medicaid could look like.

Right.

So in the, bill that they have proposed in the budget, they have to cut $880 billion from the committe that oversees Medicaid spending.

And just doing the math, there's just not enough of all other things that they can cut in order to not touch Medicaid in some capacity, and even making small changes like adding work requirements and adding more checks for Medicaid are some of the things that Republicans are trying to throw out is to being, ways that they can cut Medicaid, but there's just no way that those cuts themselves can get them to that number.

So they're kind of just trying to figure out how to get to that number.

And I don't know how they're going to agree.

I mean, you have moderate nodding to make very small cuts.

We want the older conservatives and the, you know, those people who make extreme cuts because they want to have $2 trillion in savings.

So, Speaker Johnson, I don't know how he makes everyone happy.

He's done things before that we are surprised that he has.

But right now, they're still like closed doo meetings with committee members that are overseein some of these more contentious topics, like Medicaid.

And so they're still at one day they're going to cut this, the next day they're planning on cutting this, and then it changes.

So unfortunately, we don't know what is ultimately going to end up in that final bill.

They might have markups next week.

And so the committees that are overseeing like Medicaid and Snap might have markup next week.

And if they do, then that should give us some more clear answers once they release, like their text of the legislation and then start marking it up.

But I don't see i being an easy markup for sure.

And and Democrat are I've been putting up a fight against this, of course, and will continue to just hammer the Republicans on any way they try to change it.

I think that that'll be their messaging against that.

And of course, and then there's the Senate and the president.

So I mean, there's a lot of factors there.

But I really appreciate the update.

We're out of time.

But I just want to say thank you for your work in Washington.

I've had so much great feedback from our viewers about just the additio of our Washington, DC coverage cover to the delegation ther on the ground on Capitol Hill.

So thank you.

You're doing a great job.

Thank you.

Happy to be here.

We'll be right back.

You can watch past episodes of Capital Journal online at Video adaptive.org.

Capital Journal episodes are also available on AP TV's free mobile app.

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The World War Two era Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American pilots in U.S. military service.

Because Tuskegee was the only training facility for black pilots in the United States during World War II.

Potential pilot came from all over the country.

The first African-American flying unit was the 99th Fighter Squadron, which deployed in the spring of 1943.

The 99th earned a Distinguished Unit Citation, flying missions against enemy targets over Italy.

The second flying unit, the 332nd fighter Group, flew several successful bomber escort missions throughout the war.

Its P-51 fighters ha distinctively painted red tails, earning the unit and its planes the nickname Red tails.

In 1948, Presiden Truman issued an executive order mandating the racial integration of all military services.

The way was paved by the Tuskegee Airmen of Worl War Two, and in 2007, President Bush collectively awarded them a Congressional Gold Medal.

That's our show for this week.

Thanks for watching.

We'll be back on Tuesday with more coverage of the Alabama Legislature here on Alabama Public Television.

As we close tonight, here's some more from the teacher of the year ceremon at Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

This.