It is clear to see why Alabama voters strongly prefer repealing the state’s sales tax on groceries over receiving a one-time rebate check. Will lawmakers listen to their constituents?
Givhan’s bill provides needed reforms that would potentially curtail the powers of the State Health Officer. Stronger restrictions and oversight provisions should be added to ensure that it does that.
It is a positive development that Alabama lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are presenting serious proposals to reduce the tax burden of Alabamians.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "Midday Mobile" with Sean Sullivan as they discuss the strange items in the governor's supplemental Education Trust Fund budget, including money for a waterpark, an airport and a World Games bailout.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "News & Views" with Joey Clark as they discuss Alabama's weird and separate Education Trust Fund budget.
Making Alabama more attractive for remote workers could give the state an advantage in attracting and retaining businesses. It’s a win-win for the state and the legislature has the power to make it a reality.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "The Jeff Poor Show" as they discuss the rising costs of the new Elmore County prison, which is approaching $1 billion.
If most of the surplus is not getting returned to citizens, it should at least be used for legitimate educational purposes, not for pet economic development projects.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "Midday Mobile" with Sean Sullivan as they discuss Medicaid expansion and how the federal government will cover most of the increase for the first two years and then the financial burden will fall on the state.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "News & Views" with Joey Clark as they discuss the lack of bold ideas in the governor's proposed budget.
Those on both sides of the Medicaid expansion debate want Alabamians to have access to high quality and affordable healthcare. Where they differ is whether the government or the free market is best suited to provide it.
If the goal is to “drive people here,” as Ainsworth said, permanent tax relief is a much more effective method to attract new people and businesses to Alabama than a one-time rebate check that will not have lasting impacts.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "Midday Mobile" with Sean Sullivan as they discuss the possible federal government takeover of Alabama prisons and release of unrehabilitated felons if new Alabama prisons aren't built by 2025.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "News & Views" with Joey Clark as they discuss over-budget and behind-schedule prison construction, government red tape and a prime example of government red tape, occupational licensing.
While the 2023 regular legislative session is largely focused on tax relief and education, another issue looms in the background: the state’s correctional system and the various problems hampering its improvement.
State government should only impose regulations when they serve as a legitimate means to ensure the health and safety of Alabamians.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "Midday Mobile" with Sean Sullivan as they discuss the ARPA bill in the Alabama legislature which basically leaves the spending decisions to the governor.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "News & Views" with Joey Clark as they discuss five teacher pay raises in the past four years with no appreciable increase in student scores and the governor wants to raise their pay again.
Without substantial structural reforms, simply increasing teacher pay is unlikely to improve the quality of a public education in Alabama.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "Midday Mobile" with Sean Sullivan as they discuss how tax rebates are just a one-time refund of taxpayer money while tax cuts are an ongoing and continuous refund of taxpayer money, and the only positive long-term outcome of tax rebates is the government won't be able to spend that money.
Judging from Gov. Kay Ivey’s speech last Tuesday, as well as several bills filed by Alabama lawmakers, it looks like some tax relief is in the cards for 2023.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "News & Views" with Joey Clark as they discuss the structural tax reform the Alabama Democrats are proposing in pushing for grocery tax relief.
As lawmakers turn towards a special session allocating remaining ARPA funds, they are claiming that there are no so-called “revenue replacement” funds available for tax cuts. What were almost all the state’s available revenue replacement funds spent on? Prisons.
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "Midday Mobile" with Sean Sullivan as they discuss State Superintendent Eric Mackey's request for an additional $1 billion in addition to the 40% increase education has received over the past 4-5 years with no test score improvement over the past 25 years.
Occupational taxes are levied on workers living outside of a city’s tax jurisdiction who come inside city limits to work. Removing them would incentivize citizens to work and give the state a competitive advantage in attracting new businesses.
More funding isn’t producing better results, so why do state leaders continue following the same broken model?
Listen to 1819 News Fiscal and Budget Reporter Justin Bogie on "News & Views" with Joey Clark as they discuss the Alabama Republican Party's platform of lower taxes, less spending and smaller government, while the state has an uncompetitive corporate tax rate and high sales taxes.