Legislative Update: 02.14.2020
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The Alabama Legislature reconvened this week and got back into the full swing of things. On Tuesday, the House debated for several hours on whether to allow Alabama cities to enact new occupational taxes without legislative permission. The bill, by Representative Chris Sells of Greenville, would not impact any existing occupational taxes. The proposal comes as the city of Montgomery explores the possibility of creating a 1% occupational tax. Lawmakers voted 74-27 for the bill, and it now moves to the Alabama Senate. The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee voted down a proposal on Wednesday to give payday lending customers longer to repay their loans. The committee voted 6-8 against the bill by Senator Arthur Orr. Senators who opposed the plan are concerned people would turn to internet lenders if the payday lending stores weren’t available in the state. On Thursday, a bill that would make it a hate crime to attack police officers because of their profession passed unanimously by a vote of 92-0. The bill, sponsored by Representative Rex Reynolds, adds law enforcement to the categories of race, religion, national origin, or disability currently covered by Alabama’s hate crime law. The bill now moves to the Senate. The Alabama Legislature will reconvene on Tuesday for its fifth legislative day. - Christina Butler, Tucker Consulting (02.14.2020) |
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