The Caputo Report

With one week down and twenty-eight legislative days remaining, the Alabama Legislature returns to session this Tuesday at 1 PM for a full week of debate and committee meetings.  Below is a list of the major bills that will be up in committee this week.  Many people will be watching to see how the Legislature addresses the PACT shortfall.  With elections just around the corner, many legislators want to divert some state money to the struggling program, but limited education trust dollars and the Alabama Education Association may prevent that from happening.

House Judiciary

HB298 (Rep. Woods):  A bill relating to copper theft.  Extends the current limits on cash payments for metal sold to a recycler ($100 for copper and $1000 for other metals) and authorizes a judge to order those found guilty of metal theft to repay the cost of the metal stolen plus repair costs.

HB278 (Rep. DeMarco): Rep. DeMarco has worked with the Alabama Ethics Commission over the last two years to update Alabama’s state ethics law.  Key provisions of  the bill: (1) mandate ethics training for members of the Legislature, state constitutional officers, cabinet officers, municipal mayors, county commissioners, and lobbyists, (2) broaden the definition of lobbying to include lobbying the state’s executive branch, and (3) establish and mandate on-line access for the filing of statements of economic interests with the Alabama Ethics Commission.  The bill does not grant controversial subpoena power to the commission.

House Travel & Tourism

HB154 (Rep. Black): The bill legalizes Class II “Indian Equivalent Bingo” in Alabama.  I’m not sure if the votes are there to expand gambling, but expect lots of discussion on the topic this session, especially with the dismal budget projections.

House Constitution & Elections

HB3 (Rep. Canfield): A constitutional amendment providing that the employees have a right to a secret ballot in union representation elections.  The bill is in response to the  Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), pending in Congress, which would allow a union to be recognized without a secret election.  Instead union organizers could intimidate workers into signing an authorization cards.  The EFCA states that if authorization cards representing more than 50% of workers in a bargaining unit are presented to the National Labor Relations Board, “the Board shall not direct an election but shall certify the individual or labor organization as the representative.”

HB46 (Rep. England): Establishes a $500 per election cap on contributions to judicial candidates.  Current Alabama law does not cap contribution to judicial candidates.

Senate Financial Responsibility & Accountability

SB162 (Sen. T. Little): Last week, the Alabama Education Association requested a public hearing for Sen. Little’s PACT bill, which provides approximately $225 million for the troubled pre-paid college program.

SB34 (Sen. Means): One of several bills to prohibit the use of no bid state contracts following the state’s no bid contract with Paragon.