Legislation to potentially replace Alabama’s elected K-12 board of education with a commission of governor appointees will be voted on in a Senate committee on Tuesday.
Author: Mary Sell (Mary Sell)
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Sponsor: Bill would get schools’ unused food to hungry children
By MARY SELL, Alabama Daily News Supporters of a bill filed this week in the Alabama House hope it will make it easier for schools to get unused food to hungry students. Federal law allows food to be donated to food banks and other charitable organizations. House Bill 566 could make it easier for food...
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After delays, distracted driving bill could be back next week
By MARY SELL, Alabama Daily News A vote in the Alabama House of Representatives on a bill to prohibit the use of hand-held cell phones and other devices was delayed this week. Bill sponsor Rep. K.L. Brown, R-Jacksonville, said a “snafu” in the drafting of the bill caused the holdup. Sponsors had intended to draft...
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Bill would require use of state vaccine database
Bills in the Alabama Legislature would require health care providers to check a statewide patient database before administering vaccines and update the registry when they give any.
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Higher education looks to fix ‘egregious inequities’ in funding for some universities
The record $7.1 billion education budget approved in the Alabama Senate last week contains at least five percent increases for the state’s public four-year universities, but a formula to get more money to under-funded institutions met with some concern.
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Lottery proposal would boost turnout for presidential, U.S. Senate primaries
By MARY SELL, Alabama Daily News A lottery proposal on the March 2020 primary ballot could increase Alabama’s voter participation in the presidential and U.S. Senate primaries. “If this lottery bill is on the ballot on March the 3rd, you can expect another record-breaking turnout for a presidential primary,” Secretary of State John Merrill said...
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House members sponsoring county-specific church deadly force bills
Afraid the statewide bill they support will again die, some Alabama House members are sponsoring bills to clarify that church members in their local counties can use deadly force if threatened.
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Bill would protect forest owners from fire district fees
Disputes between timberland owners and some fire districts have resulted in statewide legislation to prohibit any district from assessing fees or dues on timberland.
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In teacher shortage, educators support bill for non-certified teachers
Roanoke City Schools Superintendent Chuck Marcum needs more teachers.
Specifically, he needs more educators who are certified in the subjects they’re teaching. But during a teacher shortage that some say has reached a crisis level in parts of the state, Marcum and others hope lawmakers will let them keep non-certified educators in their classrooms longer.
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Bill giving more options for armed school security clears Senate
By MARY SELL, Alabama Daily News MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A bill to make it easier for retired law enforcement officers to become armed school security personnel passed the Alabama Senate Thursday and could get a vote in the House next week. “It will give schools and sheriffs departments more options and opportunities to hire people,”...
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School security personnel bills expected in House, Senate today
The Alabama House and Senate could vote today on bills that proponents say would get more armed security personnel in public schools.
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Ivey’s approval rating in Alabama higher than Trump’s
Gov. Kay Ivey has a higher approval rating in Alabama than President Donald Trump, according to a new poll released this week.
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Bill would stop seizure of assets without criminal conviction; law enforcement opposed
Legislation pending in the Alabama Senate would prohibit law enforcement agencies from seizing the assets of people who haven’t been convicted of a crime.
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Former Lt. Gov. nominee to challenge Worley
By MARY SELL, Alabama Daily News Nancy Worley has a new challenger to lead Alabama Democrats. “Alabama’s Democratic Party needs to be unified,” Will Boyd of Florence said Friday night in an announcement sent to Alabama Daily News. “And with an election coming up next year, the party needs to focus on the mobilization and...
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Literacy bill focuses on early reading efforts, holding back third graders with poor skills
By MARY SELL, Alabama Daily News Proposed legislation to hold back Alabama third-graders who don’t have sufficient reading skills will dedicate more time, training and financial resources to early literacy efforts, but some educators are concerned about aspects of the bill. “If a child can’t read by third grade, their chances for retention later go...