Summary of action in Alabama Legislature

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Summary of action in Alabama Legislature

The Associated Press
May 06, 2004

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A summary of action in the Alabama Legislature on Wednesday, the 28th meeting day of the regular session:

HOUSE

-Passed legislation to increase the severance tax on oil and natural gas production. Goes to Senate.

-Approved legislation to remove a sales tax exemption from contractors who do construction work for the state government. Goes to Senate.

-Voted to delay a payday for state employees by one day in fiscal 2005. Goes to Senate.

-Voted in favor of bill to make it a crime for daycare workers to give medicine to a child without permission of the parents or a doctor. Goes to Senate.

-Approved a bill to require that persons charged with sexual assault be given a test for HIV. Goes to Senate.

-Passed legislation that establishes a board to negotiate for the lowest price of medicine for state programs. Goes to governor.

-Voted not to consider a bill that would allow towns with a population of 6,000 or more in dry counties to vote to legalize the sale of alcoholic beverages.

-Passed a bill to allow judges to require persons convicted of DUI to put a device on their cars that would prevent the vehicle from starting if the drive has been drinking. Goes to Senate.

-Approved a bill that would allow the Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute the life without parole sentences of some inmates who have already served 20 years in prison. Goes to Senate.

-Passed a bill to require the state to take competitive bids on some contracts for personal services. Goes to Senate.

-Approved legislation to exempt security plans for water works facilities and some other areas from the state's law requiring the public records be open to the public. Goes to governor.

-Debated, but did not vote on a bill to set minimum standards for coroners.

SENATE

-Began discussion of the state General Fund budget, but did not vote on it.

-Approved the governor's appointments of William Ronald Smith to the Jacksonville State University board, Emma Jean Holmes Melton to the Alabama A&M University board, and John H. Cooper to the State Ethics Commission.

COMMITTEES

-House Education Finance and Appropriations Committee delayed action on a bill to reorganize the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

AGENDA

-Legislative Council meets at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in room 617 of the Statehouse.

-Legislature's Contract Review Committee meets at 9 a.m. Thursday in the Joint Briefing Room.

-Senate meets at 12:01 a.m. Thursday and House meets at 10 a.m. Thursday.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"We in the Senate want the same thing. We want a budget passed. We want to pass the minimum amount of taxes to balance the budget." - Senate President Pro Tem Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe.