Legislative Committees Advance Key Legislation
The second Wednesday committee meeting day for this year's session of the Alabama Legislature saw several bills approved and sent to the full house or senate bodies for debate.
In the House:
Two bills proposed by West Alabama Rep. Ron Bolton received debate in the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
House Bill 33, which was carried over from last Wednesday's meeting at Bolton's request, would lower the age at which school enrollment affects a teen’s ability to hold a driver's license, If the bill becomes law it would drop the age from the current 19 to 17. Bolton told the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, the current age puts teens who must work in a bind because they could lose their license due to school-related rules.
Bolton pointed out the change is backed by the state school superintendent's association and the current age conflicts with other sections of state code.
The bill retains only one provision related to driver's licenses, which mandates a 180-day suspension of driver's license eligibility for individuals over 14 years old who are convicted of possessing a pistol on school premises or a school bus.
The measure now goes to the full house for floor debate.
House Bill 32 by Bolton, received its first reading in the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee meeting. As introduced, it would increase the fine amount for subsequent violations of the child passenger restraint law from $25 per offense, currently, to: (1) $50 for second violation within a five-year period; (2) $100 for a third violation within a five-year period; and (3) $150 for a fourth or subsequent violation within a five-year period. No roll call vote was taken at today's meeting.
House Bill 11, sponsored by Rep. Phillip Pettus (R-1), reduces the threshold for youthful offender status for those crimes from 19 to 16 for those charged with murder or capital murder. The measure was approved without discussion or objection from any legislators on the committee.
In the Senate:
In the upper chamber, Senate Bill 61, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr (R-3) would require the Alabama Medicaid Agency and Department of Human Resources to cross-check eligibility for assistance programs. The Senate General Fund Finance and Taxation Committee.
Supporters of the bill claim it is needed because of the state’s error rate for SNAP. Lawmakers opposed pointed out the Alabama error rate is one of the lowest in the nation.
The bill now goes to the senate floor for debate but only passed the committee along an 8-4 party line vote. Changes in the bill are expected once it reaches the full senate.
Senate Bill 23 by Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger (R-4) would allow special primary elections in legislative and congressional races if the U.S. Supreme Court changes how race is applied to drawing maps.
The bill passed the Senate County and Municipal Government Committee and now goes to the full senate for debate.
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