There was worthwhile progress made in areas such as tax relief for citizens and expansion of the Alabama Accountability Act scholarship and charter school programs. More work remains, however.
More federal intervention could help a limited number of rural hospitals survive in the short-term, but it is not a permanent solution to improve health care. Repealing Alabama’s CON laws would go much further towards achieving that goal for all Alabamians.
If Alabama wants to maximize the benefits of the work from home movement and subsequent migration, lowering the income tax burden is the place to start.
Medicaid expansion was notably absent in the 2023 session. But proponents are back with the same tired arguments, likely already eyeing another push in 2024, if not before.
Alabamians have a right to know the activities that state government is engaged in and how their tax dollars are being spent. Yet Senate Bill 196, which would have further streamlined the public records process, died on the last day of the 2023 regular session.
Will higher teacher salaries do anything to improve Alabama’s lagging national test scores?
The 2023 session saw the legislature enact the largest budgets in state history. And while progress was made on tax relief efforts, more of your money should be returned to you.
Time is running out. Many bills that sought to reduce the tax burden of Alabamians have officially died. But several tax relief bills remained alive as Wednesday’s committee meetings wrapped up.
The proposed debt limit agreement will not solve the fundamental spending and debt issues that the U.S. government faces. Rather, it merely delays those decisions until after the 2024 presidential election.
The overarching theme of the two budgets is that the size and scope of Alabama’s government is growing to new record levels. Neither does enough to provide permanent tax relief to Alabamians, and time is running out.
Alabama’s government had a more than $3 billion combined budget surplus entering 2023. Yet lawmakers still seem reluctant to give “too much” of that surplus back to its rightful owners.
The grocery tax repeal is one of few issues that has widespread bipartisan support. It’s time for the legislature to make it a reality.
While much of the attention during the 2023 regular legislative session has been given to tax cut and rebate proposals, there are numerous tax credit and exemption bills also moving through the Alabama Legislature.
I’m not advocating for a $15 minimum wage statewide. But I do wonder why the discussed proposal is for government employees — who are part of a powerful lobby — when too little is being done to support the private sector.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "News & Views" with Joey Clark as they discuss the national debt limit and the consequences of defaulting on public debts.
Nobody wants to default on the U.S. debt. The repercussions would be devastating for all Americans. However, out of control government growth and borrowing against future generations must stop.
The topline for the 2023 ETF supplemental appropriations act is unchanged from the governor’s recommendation. However, a closer examination of the bill’s line-items shows a major shift in funding priorities.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "Midday Mobile" with Sean Sullivan as they discuss the latest grocery tax repeal proposal which prohibits local governments from raising those taxes.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "News & Views" with Joey Clark as they discuss proposed school choice legislation that is being bounced around the legislature but not acted upon.
More than halfway through the 2023 regular legislative session, strong momentum is building to partially repeal the state’s 4% sales tax on groceries.
If the legislature continues to delay school choice legislation, it’s not because it is too costly or because the program would not improve the quality of education in Alabama’s schools.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "News & Views" with Joey Clark as they discuss the legislative progress on the elimination of Alabama's grocery tax.
Alabamians have made it clear that they don’t want a rebate check. Top lawmakers are now on the same page. Will Gov. Ivey listen?
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "Midday Mobile" with Sean Sullivan as they discuss the potential Birmingham Southern Bailout and the dangerous precedent it would set.
Alabama continues to be in a unique position to provide substantial permanent tax relief to hard-working citizens. To make that a reality, lawmakers must take larger steps to slow the growth of government spending.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "News & Views" with Joey Clark as they discuss the recent ALGOP poll that determined Alabamians of both parties overwhelmingly want the Alabama grocery tax repealed.
Without ARPA funds, how does BSC plan to remain open? There are two likely solutions, both of which would set a new precedent for state government’s involvement with private higher education institutions.