By Speaker of the House of Representatives Nathaniel Ledbetter
It’s been just over two weeks since the Legislature suspended Sine Die and I think the people of Alabama should be proud of what legislators accomplished over the past three months.
There is always more work ahead, but when I evaluate the productivity or success of a session, I ask myself, “Are we improving the lives of the people of Alabama?”
As we look back on what we accomplished and how it affects Alabamians, the answer to that question is a resounding “yes.”
Recognizing that the rising cost of child care is making it financially impossible for many Alabama parents to work, we passed child care tax credit legislation. Provides employers, both large and small, with tax credits for providing child care to employees, helping parents (especially single parents) return or remain in the workforce and support their families.
Many of Alabama’s high-wage jobs are located in places like Huntsville, Birmingham and Mobile, but a common thread among these cities is a lack of affordable housing, which prevents many eligible workers from seeking employment. Taking a similar approach to the issue of child care, we passed the Housing Tax Credit, which was ably sponsored by State Rep. Cynthia Almond and will go a long way toward helping people get back to work.
Another piece of legislation that will have a positive impact on Alabamians is the cap on property tax increases sponsored by State Rep. Phillip Pettus. Some areas of Alabama have seen property taxes increase by up to 68% year over year as a result of annual reassessments, and as a result, many families are literally paying taxes for losing home ownership. I am proud that the Legislature put an end to this trend by passing legislation that limits property tax increases to 7% each year. Homeownership is and always will be a vital component of the American dream and we are committed to protecting it in Alabama.
Alabama’s investment in providing career technology training in K-12 schools is yielding incredible results, so we took it a step further by establishing a diploma for students who plan to go into these trades instead of following the four-year route. Sponsored by Rep. Kelvin Lawrence, the Career Pathways Act will give students the opportunity to choose a technology career over college preparation and train for the jobs they want to pursue after graduation.
Thanks to the leadership of ETF President Danny Garrett, we also made a record $9.3 billion investment in public schools, community colleges and four-year universities. For the fifth year in a row, Alabama teachers will also receive a well-deserved pay increase. The starting salary for classroom teachers is now $47,600, the highest among our neighboring states.
Partnering with Governor Ivey, I was proud to co-sponsor the CHOOSE Act, which ensures our students receive a strong education regardless of their ZIP code. With the passage of this legislation, Alabama has established itself as one of the most school choice-friendly states in the nation while making record investments in our public schools.
As Alabamians prepare to go to the polls and elect our country’s next president in November, we are taking additional steps to safeguard the integrity of the election by prohibiting ballot harvesting and ranked-choice voting.
The Legislature also continued its trend of supporting Alabama’s active duty service members and veterans. Rep. Chip Brown signed legislation paving the way for Alabama’s first comprehensive plan for veterans’ mental health care. The Alabama Department of Mental Health and the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs will develop a plan to address issues such as recovery from substance abuse, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder within our veteran population.
I told my members before we started that I was going to ask them to make some difficult votes. I’m proud to say they did it with the highest level of professionalism and treated each other with respect.
In the end, this session we passed many strong laws that will go a long way to making Alabama an even better place to call home.
For me, that is what defines a successful session, and I hope to continue this momentum over the summer as we prepare for another productive session in 2025.
Keynote USA
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