Updates

State Senate Enhances Protections for Consumers with Data Breach Notification Law

  MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama and South Dakota are the only states in the nation that don’t require companies to report the theft of electronic consumer information. On Thursday morning, the State Senate moved to protect consumers by passing the Alabama Data Breach Notification Act, which will require private companies and state agencies to report […]

By Arthur Orr

Dial’s Legislation Helps Veterans, State Fight Drug Abuse

MONTGOMERY, Ala – On Thursday afternoon, the Alabama House of Representatives gave final passage to Senate Bill 200, legislation sponsored by Senator Gerald Dial (R-Lineville) and Representative April Weaver (R-Alabaster) to help Alabama’s veterans struggling with pain or drug abuse get the care and treatment they need. America’s servicemen and women returning from active duty […]

Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering One Step Closer to Reality

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The State Senate moved on Thursday morning to establish the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, a central proposal of Governor Kay Ivey’s State of the State address in January. The School will be located in Huntsville. Sponsored by Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), the legislation sailed through on a 26-0 vote. […]

By Arthur Orr

Alabama Senate Passes Responsible $2 Billion FY19 Budget

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On Tuesday afternoon, the Alabama Senate passed by a 26-2 vote a $2 billion General Fund budget for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) that increases funds for prisons and state troopers, and protects taxpayers by avoiding any new taxes. The General Fund is the state budget for all non-education state spending. “This budget […]

Senate Passes Albritton’s Income Tax Return Check-Off for Alabama State Veterans Cemetery

Montgomery, Ala. –  On Thursday afternoon, the Alabama Senate passed Senate Bill 150, as part of “Military Appreciation Day” at the Statehouse and State Capitol. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Greg Albritton (R-Range), provides an income tax check-off for the Alabama State Veterans Cemetery in Spanish Fort. If signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey, […]

By Greg Albritton

Senate Approves Measure to Make State Parks Free for Military Vets

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – As Governor Kay Ivey designated Thursday “Military Appreciation Day,” the Alabama Senate passed five bills to support military veterans, including the Parks for Patriots Act which will give Alabama military veterans free access to state parks. The Legislature also held a joint session of the House and Senate this morning to honor […]

By Greg Reed By Del Marsh

Stutts Introduces Bill to Establish Scholarships for Medical Students Who Will Practice in Rural Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Senator Larry Stutts (R-Tuscumbia) has introduced a bill in the Alabama Senate that seeks to establish a scholarship program for medical students who will practice medicine in rural Alabama. If approved, the Alabama Physician Initiative (Senate Bill 210) would authorize the Alabama Medical Education Consortium to administer up to 25 scholarships annually […]

By Larry Stutts

Senator Melson’s Bill Levels Playing Field Between County and City Superintendents

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Senate committee on Education and Youth Affairs has approved Senate Bill 153, sponsored by Senator Tim Melson (R-Florence), which would allow county superintendents of education the option to have additional employment outside of their duties as superintendent, an opportunity that city superintendents already possess.  Melson’s proposal also removes limits on […]

By Tim Melson

Shining a Light on the Darkness of Human Trafficking

This week, the Alabama Senate passed Senate Bill 179, which establishes severe penalties for those found guilty of obstructing an investigation into child trafficking. This legislation enhances the penalties already in place, increasing the offense to a Class A felony, with a minimum jail sentence of ten years. Under current law, the obstruction of an […]

Scofield’s Proposal to Expand Broadband in Rural Alabama Passes the State Senate

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – This afternoon the Alabama State Senate took a major step toward broadband expansion in rural Alabama by passing Senator Clay Scofield’s (R-Guntersville) Alabama Rural Broadband Act. Senate Bill 149 is a free-market approach to increasing private investment to expand high-speed internet access across the state. “In the 1930s the infrastructure challenge was […]

By Clay Scofield