Goat Hill Report- End of 2022 Session
The Alabama Legislature adjourned Sine Die late in the night on Thursday, April 7, marking the end of the 2022 regular session. Technically the session ended on the 29th legislative day – one day earlier than the maximum allowed 30 days – but the session did go past midnight by…
Goat Hill Report- Week Ending March 18, 2022
This week, the Alabama legislature completed Days 22 and 23 of the 2022 legislative session, leaving seven more legislative days. The legislature is set to take their Spring Break next week, and will return the week of March 28. We continue to hear that the session will conclude in early…
Goat Hill Report- Week Ending March 11, 2022
This week, the Alabama legislature completed Days 19, 20 and 21 of the 2022 legislative session. This week, the legislature will hold a two-day week (Tuesday and Thursday session days) and then take Spring Break the week of March 21. Speculation continues to circulate that the session will conclude in…
Goat Hill Report- Week Ending Feb. 18, 2022
This week Alabama legislature completed Days 10, 11 and 12 of the 2022 legislative session. With another 3-day week this coming week, by next Thursday legislators will reach the halfway point of the session’s 30 meeting days. Details of this week’s notable legislative action, as well as key political news,…
Goat Hill Report- Week Ending Feb. 11, 2022
The 2022 legislative session continued this this week with legislators completing days 7, 8 and 9 out of a possible 30 meeting days. This election year session continues to proceed with a lighter-than-usual workload, but that is expected to increase in the coming weeks. Details of this week’s notable legislative action, as…
Goat Hill Report- Week ending Feb. 4, 2022
The 2022 legislative session resumed this week after last week’s conclusion of the special session to allocate federal COVID relief funds. Before the legislative week started, the political scene was buzzing with the results of last Friday’s candidate qualifying deadline for the 2022 elections, which includes the entire legislature and…
Goat Hill Report- Week Ending January 28, 2022
The 2022 legislative session was on hiatus for a second week pending the conclusion of the special session to allocate federal COVID relief funds. The special session wrapped up on Thursday, and the regular session is expected to resume on Tuesday, February 1. Details of the 2022 special session are…
Goat Hill Report- Week Ending January 21, 2022
The 2022 legislative session completed Day Three on Tuesday, and as anticipated the session was then suspended in order to convene a special session of the legislature to allocate federal COVID relief funds (discussion below). The regular session is expected to resume on Tuesday, February 1, after the conclusion of…
Goat Hill Report- Week Ending Jan. 14, 2022
The 2022 legislative session kicked off at noon on Tuesday, and conversation immediately turned to suspending the session and convening a special session to allocate federal relief funds (discussion below). The special session chatter comes amidst the 2022 candidate qualifying period that closes on January 28, and the impending May…
Goat Hill Report- Special Session
Legislature approves $1.3B prison construction plan After five days in Montgomery for a Special Legislative Session, legislators on Friday approved a $1.3B prison construction plan. HB4 by Rep. Steve Clouse (R – Ozark) allows the state to borrow as much as $785 million in bonds for the construction of two new men’s…
Goat Hill Report- Legislature Adjourns Sine Die
Gaming stumbles at the finish lineLegislation to allow Alabama citizens to vote on whether to legalize gambling including a lottery, casino games, and sports betting failed as the 2021 regular legislative session concluded.Despite the efforts of former Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh (R – Anniston), Governor Kay Ivey, her…
Goat Hill Report Week Ending 5/7/21
Medical marijuana bill headed to Governor The House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that would create a statewide medical marijuana program in a historic vote that followed a debate spanning more than two days. Later that night, the Senate concurred on the House changes and sent the bill…
Goat Hill Report Week Ending 4/30/21
The Alabama Legislature met two days last week and now has only three days left in the session. The week was productive with passage of the Education Trust Fund (ETF) Budget in the House and passage of the General Fund Budget in the Senate. The ETF was the largest budget…
Goat Hill Report- Week Ending April 9, 2021
The Alabama Legislature has now met 21 of the constitutionally allowed 30 days. The Legislature must still pass the Education Trust Fund Budget and the General Fund Budget. Both budgets have passed one house and await action in the other Chamber. Both are in surprisingly great shape and are unlikely…
Goat Hill Report Week Ending 3/19/21
Lottery, gaming bills revived On Wednesday, the Senate Tourism Committee pumped new life into the gambling debate less than a week after a constitutional amendment to create a lottery and provide up to ten casino gaming locations failed on the floor of the Senate by a vote of 19 ayes…