Budget hearings were incorporated into the first two weeks of the 2013 session. There is not enough money to cover all of the requests.
Tax revenues to the state and interest paid on state deposits determine the availability of funds in the Education and General Fund budgets. Currently, the fiscal 2013 Education budget is in better condition than last year, and is not expected to be prorated.
The fiscal 2014 Education budget revenue projections show an additional $200 million would be available over and above current spending in the fiscal 2013 Education budget. The state hopes to use these additional funds to lower classroom divisors, fund school library enhancement, and give teachers a cost of living adjustment of 2 percent to 3 percent.
The 2013 General Fund budget is on target to collect required revenues to fund current budget obligations and at the moment are not expected to be prorated for the first time in many years. The 2014 General Fund budget may be a bit better than 2013, but everyone should expect it to be extremely tight. We hope the 2014 Education budget is at least slowly recovering.
We passed HB94 on the second legislative day to require the Legislature to repay all money transferred from the Alabama Trust Fund to the state General Fund pursuant to Amendment 856 (Sept. 18) to the Alabama Constitution. The General Fund will begin repayment in fiscal 2014 to the Alabama Trust Fund with annual payments required and final payback due by fiscal 2026.
The Alabama House, on day two, also passed the Alabama Informed Voter Act HB95 to approve ballot language that will explain in layman terms the effect of a vote for or against a ballot proposal.
The House passed three significant pieces of legislation in week two:
• HB101, the Red Tape Reduction Act, requires an Alabama Agency Administrator to provide notification to the public of proposed rule and regulation changes, and requires a business economic impact statement prior to adoption of a rule that is determined to have an adverse impact on a business in Alabama.
• HB102, the 21st Century Workforce Act, authorizes a $50 million dollar bond issue to provide funds to local boards of education to purchase career and technical education equipment. Funds will be available for existing programs and certified programs that are developed in the future. Career tech education for students in the Limestone County system and the Athens City system is one avenue to quality jobs in the areas of pre-engineering, building science, nursing, industrial maintenance, and welding.
• HB84, the Local Control School Flexibility Act of 2013 relating to public K-12 education, is an effort to inspire creativity and innovation in Alabama schools. The Bill allows local school boards and their superintendents to seek regulation flexibility from the state superintendent.
The Flex Bill as passed by the House requires a local public hearing prior to submitting a flexibility contract proposal to the state Board of Education. A school system may not seek flexibility or a waiver from the Alabama ethics law, state retirement benefits, or health insurance benefits for system employees.
A school system may not pay a current or future employee less than that employee would earn under the state Minimum Salary Schedule nor may a system force a current or future employee to involuntarily relinquish their tenure rights or rights obtained by reaching a non-probationary employment status. The School Flexibility Act cannot be used to authorize the formation of charter schools in Alabama and requires the state Superintendent to make a decision on proposed flexibility contracts and innovation plans within 60 days of submission.
The education organizations that support the Flex Bill include: Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, Alabama Association for School Boards, School Superintendents of Alabama, A+ Education Partnership, Association of School Business Officials, the Alabama School Superintendent, and the Business Council of Alabama. There has been much misinformation and rhetoric in regard to the Flex Bill in an effort to kill this legislation.
The third week of the session was very productive in passing the bills that are on the Republican “We Dare Defend Our Rights” agenda:
• HB57, the Women’s Health and Care Act, was carried by Rep. Mary Sue McClurken. This bill requires the same standards in treatment and care in Alabama abortion clinics that are required in other medical clinics in Alabama.
• HB108, the Religious Liberty Act was carried by Rep. Lynn Greer allows small businesses to refuse to pay for contraceptives and abortion inducing drugs, based upon the business owner’s religious beliefs.
• HB110, the Medicaid Fraud Act was carried by Rep. Jim McClendon. This bill will increase the efficiency of the state Medicaid program by improving the ability of the Attorney General’s office and the Medicaid Agency to pinpoint, investigate, and prosecute instances of fraud and abuse.
• HB109, the Health Care Compact bill was carried by Rep. Mike Ball and will allow Alabama to become the fifth state to join the Interstate Compact. This will allow our Medicaid Agency to do a better job of running our state Medicaid program with less federal involvement.
We have now passed almost the entire Republican agenda that we promised to deliver during this session. The exception is the Alabama Firearms Protection Act that we will take up when we begin next week.
Tax revenues to the state and interest paid on state deposits determine the availability of funds in the Education and General Fund budgets. Currently, the fiscal 2013 Education budget is in better condition than last year, and is not expected to be prorated.
The fiscal 2014 Education budget revenue projections show an additional $200 million would be available over and above current spending in the fiscal 2013 Education budget. The state hopes to use these additional funds to lower classroom divisors, fund school library enhancement, and give teachers a cost of living adjustment of 2 percent to 3 percent.
The 2013 General Fund budget is on target to collect required revenues to fund current budget obligations and at the moment are not expected to be prorated for the first time in many years. The 2014 General Fund budget may be a bit better than 2013, but everyone should expect it to be extremely tight. We hope the 2014 Education budget is at least slowly recovering.
We passed HB94 on the second legislative day to require the Legislature to repay all money transferred from the Alabama Trust Fund to the state General Fund pursuant to Amendment 856 (Sept. 18) to the Alabama Constitution. The General Fund will begin repayment in fiscal 2014 to the Alabama Trust Fund with annual payments required and final payback due by fiscal 2026.
The Alabama House, on day two, also passed the Alabama Informed Voter Act HB95 to approve ballot language that will explain in layman terms the effect of a vote for or against a ballot proposal.
The House passed three significant pieces of legislation in week two:
• HB101, the Red Tape Reduction Act, requires an Alabama Agency Administrator to provide notification to the public of proposed rule and regulation changes, and requires a business economic impact statement prior to adoption of a rule that is determined to have an adverse impact on a business in Alabama.
• HB102, the 21st Century Workforce Act, authorizes a $50 million dollar bond issue to provide funds to local boards of education to purchase career and technical education equipment. Funds will be available for existing programs and certified programs that are developed in the future. Career tech education for students in the Limestone County system and the Athens City system is one avenue to quality jobs in the areas of pre-engineering, building science, nursing, industrial maintenance, and welding.
• HB84, the Local Control School Flexibility Act of 2013 relating to public K-12 education, is an effort to inspire creativity and innovation in Alabama schools. The Bill allows local school boards and their superintendents to seek regulation flexibility from the state superintendent.
The Flex Bill as passed by the House requires a local public hearing prior to submitting a flexibility contract proposal to the state Board of Education. A school system may not seek flexibility or a waiver from the Alabama ethics law, state retirement benefits, or health insurance benefits for system employees.
A school system may not pay a current or future employee less than that employee would earn under the state Minimum Salary Schedule nor may a system force a current or future employee to involuntarily relinquish their tenure rights or rights obtained by reaching a non-probationary employment status. The School Flexibility Act cannot be used to authorize the formation of charter schools in Alabama and requires the state Superintendent to make a decision on proposed flexibility contracts and innovation plans within 60 days of submission.
The education organizations that support the Flex Bill include: Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, Alabama Association for School Boards, School Superintendents of Alabama, A+ Education Partnership, Association of School Business Officials, the Alabama School Superintendent, and the Business Council of Alabama. There has been much misinformation and rhetoric in regard to the Flex Bill in an effort to kill this legislation.
The third week of the session was very productive in passing the bills that are on the Republican “We Dare Defend Our Rights” agenda:
• HB57, the Women’s Health and Care Act, was carried by Rep. Mary Sue McClurken. This bill requires the same standards in treatment and care in Alabama abortion clinics that are required in other medical clinics in Alabama.
• HB108, the Religious Liberty Act was carried by Rep. Lynn Greer allows small businesses to refuse to pay for contraceptives and abortion inducing drugs, based upon the business owner’s religious beliefs.
• HB110, the Medicaid Fraud Act was carried by Rep. Jim McClendon. This bill will increase the efficiency of the state Medicaid program by improving the ability of the Attorney General’s office and the Medicaid Agency to pinpoint, investigate, and prosecute instances of fraud and abuse.
• HB109, the Health Care Compact bill was carried by Rep. Mike Ball and will allow Alabama to become the fifth state to join the Interstate Compact. This will allow our Medicaid Agency to do a better job of running our state Medicaid program with less federal involvement.
We have now passed almost the entire Republican agenda that we promised to deliver during this session. The exception is the Alabama Firearms Protection Act that we will take up when we begin next week.
— Republican Rep. Dan Williams represents Alabama’s 5th House district, which includes Athens and Limestone County.
No comments:
Post a Comment