By Sherri Blevins
The beginning of a new year requires lawmakers to return to Montgomery for the year’s Regular Legislative Session. This Session is limited to 30 session days that must take place within a 105 calendar day period. By law, the Legislative Session must end by April 25, 2022.
On January 11, Governor Ivey addressed Alabamians in her annual State of the State address. According to Beth Lyons with alreporter.com, Ivey outlined the priorities for the Legislative Session. Ivey stated that her proposed budget would include a 4 percent pay raise for state employees and teachers, a bonus for state retirees, implementation of the Alabama Literacy Act, which was halted due to COVID-19, and money to add two mental healthcare crisis centers.
Governor Ivey spoke of the importance of allocating the remaining $580 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). She supports funding for broadband, water and sewer infrastructure projects, hospital, nursing home reimbursement, and the unemployment insurance trust fund. Alabama received a total of $2.1 billion in ARPA funds, from which it has already allocated $400 million for two new prisons. The legislature must decide what to do with the remaining $580 million.
According to Lyons, besides Committee Meetings and budget presentations to Legislators from several agencies, most of the time focused on how to spend the remaining ARPA monies. Some expect Governor Ivey to call a Special Session held within the Regular Session to make those decisions. Even though there has been no bill introduced or certainty as to the expenditures, the allocations being suggested include:
Hospitals and nursing homes (COVID-19 care reimbursement) $80 million
Broadband $34 million
Healthcare (including mental health and veterans homes) $36 million
Telemedicine $5 million
Rural Hospital Assistance Grants $30 million
County reimbursement for inmate care $11 million
Volunteer Fire Departments $20 million
Broadband Infrastructure $51 million
Water/Sewer Emergency Projects $120 million
Water/Sewer Matching Grants $105 million
Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund $79 million
HB113 by Rep. Clouse was introduced in the House, proposing to allocate $2.7 billion in the General Fund Budget for 2023 (October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023). This amount is up $2.4 billion for the current fiscal year’s budget. The Education Fund Budget (HB135 by Rep. Garrett) was introduced in the House, proposing $8.2 billion. The current EFB is $7.6 billion.
The second Legislative Session week began January 18, 2022. Look for more updates as the Session continues.
