Week Three of the 2023 Legislative Session

Capital Briefing

Week Three of the 2023 Legislative Session

BCA Governmental Affairs Staff

Lt. Gov. Ainsworth speaks about priorities for the future of Alabama

Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth joined the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) on Tuesday, March 21 for our Government Affairs Briefing, a weekly meeting led by BCA Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs David Cole.

Lt. Gov. Ainsworth spoke to the group about his priorities for the future of Alabama, as we strive to sustain and continue the influx of people to the state.

The Lt. Governor is passionate about policies that make Alabama tax friendly. There has been record growth in Alabama’s budget, and a large part of that comes from new businesses and jobs in the state.
His top legislative priority is to reauthorize economic development incentives in Alabama to keep our state competitive in employer recruitment and job creation.
The Alabama Jobs Act, offering pay-as-you-go incentives, and the Growing Alabama Act are crucial to our state’s continued economic growth.
Infrastructure, such as highways and interstates, is important in incentivizing people and businesses to come to Alabama. Specifically, Lt. Gov. Ainsworth said that expanding I-65 to three lanes is high on his priority list.
Another topic expected to come up during this legislative session is School Choice. Lt. Gov. Ainsworth emphasized that parents need and deserve a choice on where to send their children to school and what education environment is best suited for them.
Lt. Gov. Ainsworth touched on a bill sponsored by Representative Andy Whitt to advocate for financial literacy curriculum for students. A talent recruitment program designed to keep students in Alabama is in the works at the Department of Commerce.
He is also focusing on several bills that will impact and benefit the military community in Alabama, with an emphasis on advanced cybersecurity for our state and schools.

You can watch the full video of Lt. Gov. Ainsworth here.

Every Tuesday during the 2023 Legislative Session, BCA will hold briefings at our office at 9 a.m., and they will be streamed live on BCA’s Facebook page.

There will be no briefing next week, as the Alabama Legislature will be observing Spring Break. The next Government Affairs Briefing will be on Tuesday, April 4, featuring Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed (R-Jasper).

Week Three Legislative Recap

This week, the state legislature returned to regular session after concluding a special session to allocate pandemic relief funds and retire debt owed to the Alabama Trust Fund (ATF). Lawmakers were in Montgomery for a three-day work week, where they introduced 192 bills – 111 in the House and 81 in the Senate.

As expected, the Alabama Legislature did not take up any BCA priority bills this week but did address a few key issues facing Alabama and important to legislative leadership. The Senate worked on a variety of matters, including legislation to allow hospital and nursing home patients to designate an “essential caregiver” who will be ensured visitation rights; reform Alabama’s liquor liability insurance law or dram shop coverage; and amend the state law on correctional incentive time to toughen and strengthen the requirements for inmates to receive “good time” credits for early release.

The House approved a bill to create mandatory minimum sentences for trafficking fentanyl, which is the single deadliest drug threat that our nation has ever encountered, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

BCA synced up with Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield after Governor Kay Ivey’s Economic Incentive Stakeholders meeting on Wednesday to discuss the Game Plan and how it will spur economic growth. The Game Plan includes four bills, all of which are top priorities for BCA this legislative session. Our advocacy team is working closely with stakeholders and the legislature to promote this package of critical legislation and the significant impact it will have on the state. Watch our full interview here

BCA Bills of Interest

Bill: SB104/HB158
Sponsor: Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine)/Rep. David Faulkner (R-Birmingham)
BCA Position: Support
Status: Passed the Senate; Referred to House Committee on Insurance

Additional Information: Existing law provides that any seller or furnisher of alcoholic beverages, such as a bar, restaurant, or retail store, can be held liable for civil damages suffered by an individual who is injured by an intoxicated customer or patron of the seller or furnisher. This bill creates a wider standard, with a server having to knowingly serve a visibly intoxicated person, and for that service to be the proximate cause of injury or death. This is in line with what other states require, brings fairness to restaurant and bar owners, and should help drive down the cost of liquor liability insurance.

Bill: HB1 Supplemental Appropriations from the American Rescue Plan Act – Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023.
Sponsor: Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-21)
BCA Position: Support
Status: Signed into law

Additional Information: Introduced by Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-21), HB1 allocates $1.1 billion in federal funding made available to the state through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed by Congress in 2021. HB1 includes funding for broadband expansion, water and sewer infrastructure improvements, and support for our healthcare system for communities across the state.

The monetary breakdown for each category in HB1 is as follows:

Up to $339,175,000 to support the delivery of healthcare programs and services.
Up to $660,000,000 for water, sewer, stormwater, and broadband infrastructure investments.
Up to $55,000,000 for eligible programs and services in response to the negative economic impacts of the public health emergency.
Up to $5,000,000 for response and mitigation expenses related to the pandemic.
Up to $1,006,797.72 to reimburse costs for the administration, auditing, and reporting requirements of the state fiscal recovery funds.

Bill: SB1 Supplemental Appropriation from the State General Fund to the Alabama Trust Fund
Sponsors: Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore)
BCA Position: Support
Status: Signed into law

Additional Information: Senator Greg Albritton (R-Atmore), chairman of the Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee, introduced SB1 to approve a $60 million final payment to the ATF – a state fund established by voters. Totaling $59,997,772, this legislation pays off all remaining debts ahead of time to the ATF, which is required by the People’s Trust Act to be repaid in full by 2033. These funds will be made available through state dollars, not federal ARPA funding.

Capital Briefing