Capitol Notes Archive

March 1, 2016 – The Legislature met for three days last week, and has now met for 10 legislative days. Though legislators have only been in Montgomery for four weeks, the session is one-third complete. Last Thursday, on a 23-10 vote, the Senate passed the ...Read More

Feb. 23, 2016 – The Legislature held its first three-day week of the 2016 session last week, meeting in chambers on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. In the Senate, most of the work on the Senate floor focused on passing “Sunset” legislation. State law requires legislators to ...Read More

One year ago, the “Week One” issue of Capitol Notes for the 2015 Regular Session began as follows: “Alabama’s Legislature began its 2015 Regular Session last Tuesday at noon. By the end of the week, two things were crystal clear: Alabama’s budget problem is ...Read More

The Alabama Legislature began its second special session of 2015 last Tuesday. Gov. Bentley was forced to call the session because next year’s State General Fund budget, which funds all non-educational expenses, has yet to be enacted. Legislators must pass a budget for fiscal ...Read More

The Alabama Legislature’s 2015 Regular Session ended on June 4, when the House and Senate decided to close the session on its 29th legislative day. By all accounts, the session ended too early – not only could legislators have met for an additional legislative ...Read More

In Latin, the phrase “sine die” literally means “without day.” Normally, when the Alabama Legislature adjourns, it returns the following day or the following week for the next legislative day. But when the Legislature adjourns “sine die,” the session is over and the legislative ...Read More

With six legislative days remaining in this year’s session, next year’s General Fund and Education Trust Fund budgets are taking center stage at the State House. The FY 2016 Education Trust Fund budget, which appropriates nearly $6 billion in state funds, passed the House ...Read More