This morning, AEA took the stance as the only group opposing Rep. Greg Canfield’s (R-Vestavia) “Rolling Reserve Budget” bill during a hearing. The state Department of Education backs the idea. This Huntsville Times editorial looks at the issue.

Canfield and Jefferson county Democrat, Rep. Merika Coleman react to Gov. Robert Bentley’s SOTS in this video from FOX6 News Good Day Alabama.

Among the many groups lining up to push their bills, the wide-ranging organization pushing to renew Alabama’s Forever Wild program. Tim Gothard of the Alabama Wildlife Federation made his case for renewing the conservation campaign on Good Day Alabama this morning.

You can read more about the challenge facing Forever Wild from this Sunday piece by Tom Spencer of the Birmingham News.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

State Treasurer and Republican nominee for Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey says she’s “ready, willing and able to make this agenda pass.”

Reaction to the state GOP’s “Handshake with Alabama” is predictable.

House and Senate Republican leaders promoted the agenda Monday in their effort to claim control in one or both legislative bodies in November.

Dems say that’s all you’ve got?

GOPers argue a century of Democratic rule in the legislature has accomplished little.

Some spirited back-and-forth summed it up between Rep. Merika Coleman (D-Midfield) and Rep. Paul DeMarco (R-Homewood) earlier today on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama.

Over at the Birmingham News, Joey Kennedy writes Republicans “have some pretty good initiatives on their to-do list” in changing the budgeting process for the Special Education Trust Fund and ethics reform, but he observes “they had to start swinging the demagogue stick” in the proposal for an Arizona-style immigration law and attempt to block the federal government’s health care reform act.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

McLaughlin & Associates reports 50% of voters prefer the Republican candidate on a generic legislative ballot.
Thirty-three percent favor the Democrat in the survey.

McLaughlin says Republicans get a boost from Independent voters (49%-15%).

When asked “The Democrats have been in control of Alabama’s State Legislature for 136 years, it’s time for a change,” 61% agree with the statement.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

The issue that dominated this legislative session died in the House of Representatives and thus will never receive a vote of the people. The lead sponsor of BINGO legislation in the House, Marcel Black (D), addressed the House on Wednesday afternoon. Black assured the body that a vote to pass the bill would change absolutely nothing until the people vote on it in November. Black also reminded the members that gambling in the state remains untaxed, unregulated, and undefined. “It’s been a long long session with this bill. My goal has been and remains to let the people vote.” said Black.  Before calling for the House to vote to carry over senate bill 380, Black apologized to the senate sponsor of the legislation. “I want to apologize to Senator Bedford for my apparent inability to convince 62 other folks (House members) to pass this bill.” stated Black.

Here is a full report from Wednesday’s BINGO developments.

BREAKING: Legislators discussed bills other than BINGO this session. Here are some that died.

Charter Schools: While Governor Riley and State Superintendent Joe Morton pushed heavily for charter schools, a block by the influential Alabama Education Association all but insured a dire fate for this legislation. Senator Steve French (R) and Representative Mary Sue McClurkin (R) sponsored the bill in both houses but neither garnered enough committee support to make its way to the floor.  There is the potential that the Governor could call a special session for charter schools, we will just have to wait and see.

Grocery Tax: House Bill #1 was none other than Representative John Knight’s (D)  legislation that would remove the sales tax on groceries. As was the case last year, this legislation never gained support from the republicans and inevitably failed to receive its budget isolation resolution and died on the House floor.

PAC to PAC transfers: For 10 years in a row Representative Jeff McLaughlin (D) has proposed legislation that would ban political action committees (PACs) from transferring money between themselves. These transfers make it nearly impossible to know who contributed to an individual campaign and cloud the process. The House passed McLaughlin’s legislation on the 3^rd day of this legislative session and with 27 legislative days remaining the senate never even voted on the bill in committee. Governor Riley may potentially call a special session to solve this lingering and plaguing issue.  

Smoking Ban: Senator Vivian Figures (D) said she was trying a new angle this year with her Smoking Ban legislation, only limiting the ban to restaurants. The bill shockingly came up late in the 30 day legislative session. After passing the senate with ease, the bill met opposition with the Alabama Restaurant Association in House committee. After passing out of committee the bill failed to get on the calendar for a vote in the House.

Two classes of students, two classes of universities….

When senate bill 162 by Senator Ted Little (D) went to a conference committee last week, no one expected the bill to come out in quite the condition that it did. The bill went to conference committee with a cap on tuition for ALL schools and came out with a cap on tuition for all schools EXCEPT for Auburn University and The University of Alabama. To say this caused a stir would be an unbelievable understatement. The bill passed the senate with little debate but caused a stall in the House. Representatives John Knight (D), Yvonne Kennedy (D), Laura Hall (D), and Alvin Holmes (D) filibustered concurrence with the conference committee report until 9:00 pm on Wednesday. Once the House concurred with the committee’s report, members of Save Alabama PACT gave their representatives a standing ovation.

On the final legislative day, Governor Riley decided he was not ready to close the book on the issue of PACT. Just hours before legislators left Montgomery, Riley placed an executive amendment on the bill. The amendment corrected what the administration called a flaw that would threaten the tax exempt status of the Public School and College Authority. Seeing resistance in both houses, Riley made a trip over to the state house to urge members to pass the legislation. Just after 5:00 the House concurred with Riley’s executive amendment and the Governor signed the bill into law that evening.

 You don’t have to leave but you can’t stay here

SINE DIE, HAPPY TRAILS, the Alabama House and Senate completed their 30 day 2010 general session on Thursday. This session sticks a fork in the quadrennium that began in 2006. While BINGO and PACT dominated the entire session, both houses managed to pass the Education Trust Fund and General Fund budgets. There is always the potential for a special session this summer or fall but we will just have to wait and see what Governor Riley decides to do.

That’s the way Lukata Mjumbe describes the Community Action Association of Alabama’s 4th annual Legislative Barbershop.

It takes place on a day when new numbers show the state unemployment rate rose to 11.1% in January, the highest figure since 1984. The rate translates into 228,105 unemployed people.

Lawmakers can stop by for a quick haircut, a manicure and a message from low-income Alabamians connected with CAAA’s 22 field offices.

“For at least 10 minutes, they are not going to be able to move,” Mjumbe says about lawmakers in the barber’s chair.

Mjumbe also serves on the 22-member Alabama Commission to Reduce Poverty formed last year by the legislature.

He tells FOX6 News Good Day Alabama it’s a chance to “tell them (lawmakers) what they think about poverty. What they think about the policies under debate down there.”

A year ago, one of the key issues for anti-poverty advocates created a battle in the final weeks of the legislature. This year, removing the state sales tax on groceries hasn’t received much notice. Serious concerns about the budgets and tension over e-bingo has sucked the oxygen out of the room for many issues.

“Its frustrating for alot of low income people around the state. We are in an economic crisis around this nation and around this state. To not have critical dialogue and make real decisions and choices around unemployment issues, around grocery tax issues, around those types of policies that will have a direct impact on the day to day lives of people who are struggling now, more than they ever have in some instances.”

Earlier this year, a poverty reduction expert met with Mjumbe and other commission members to challenge them to better tell the story of Alabama’s high poverty rate. Jodie Levin-Epstein urged the commission to create a larger coalition that includes the business community.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blogs here.

The 7-2 decision in the Alabama Supreme Court gives the governor’s task force on illegal gambling a clear edge in the legal battle over electronic bingo.

The court’s decision Thursday (view here)  led Gov. Bob Riley and his task force commander, John Tyson, to declare raids will continue. Watch Riley and Tyson comments here.

Track 2: Legislative

Birmingham Southern College political science professor Natalie Davis says the legal fight will only intensify the legislative battle.

“That is pressing forward and we may see more of that…  lots of money is on the table and it is an election year,” Davis says.

Still, Rep. John Rogers (D-Birmingham), who is sponsoring one of those gambling bills this session, does not believe it can pass.

Track 3: Perception

Davis says the battle for the “hearts and minds” of the people has become complicated because of the discussion of jobs and revenue in counties depending on these bingo facilities.

“People are conflicted. They love Bob Riley…. there is some evidence they don’t like the raids.”

If a constitutional amendment were to clear the legislature and go to the people, Davis dismisses claims from anti-gambling activists that they won’t have enough money to compete with pro-gaming powers in a campaign cycle.

“I think everybody will have enough to play.”

Watch the Natalie Davis interview here.

Rick Journey

For those of you folliwing the State of the State, here is a statement from Democratic gubernatorial candidate and state Ag Commissioner, Ron Sparks:

___________________

“Last night’s performance by Bob Riley was shameful. At a time when our working families are struggling under the weight of an 11 percent unemployment rate, he says he’s created thousands of new jobs. At a time when teacher layoffs are a possibility and our kids bring toilet paper to school to help out, Bob Riley says he has plenty of money for education.
“And at a time when our seniors and children wonder if they will still have health care next year, Bob Riley says, ‘Don’t worry. Be happy.’
“Folks, we don’t just have a budget crisis, we have a leadership crisis. I am the only candidate for governor with a plan to increase revenue. We need an education lottery and we need to make legal gaming establishments finally pay their share of taxes, just like Alabama families do. We need action, not slogans or sound bites.
“That’s the kind of governor we need, not one that hides his head in the sand or tells us how sunny it is while the rain pours.”