MONTGOMERY — On Monday, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth applauded the legislature and Gov. Kay Ivey for signing a package of 10 pro-military bills into law during the 2024 regular session.
Ainsworth said he wanted to ensure Alabama remains among the nation’s friendliest and most welcoming states for active service members, veterans and their dependents.
“Improving the lives of the men and women who currently wear our nation’s uniform, those who served, and the family members who support them has always ranked high on my list of priorities as lieutenant governor,” Ainsworth said. “The bills we enacted will provide tax cuts for deployed troops, enhance the educational and occupational options for dependents of active armed forces personnel, and implement guidelines that make Alabama even more welcoming for those who serve.”
The Alabama Military Stability Commission, chaired by Ainsworth and tasked with protecting and expanding federal military bases and other Department of Defense infrastructure across the state, proposed the legislative package. In addition to several elected officials and cabinet members, the commission includes regional appointees from areas across the state with a heavy defense concentration.
Among the bills enacted were measures that create tax exemptions for military pay earned by Alabama service members while deployed, provide occupational licensure reciprocity for military dependents, ease school registration and athletic participation rules for children of military families, and begin reforming and improving mental health services offered by the Alabama Department of Veteran Affairs.
Ainsworth said that enacting the package will also ensure the state’s current military presence remains secure.
“The federal military bases located in our state play an important role in our state’s economy and job climate, so we are making every effort to retain and expand that footprint whenever possible,” Ainsworth said. “Virtually every city, county, and state across the nation competes to attract military infrastructure and the jobs and investment that comes with it, and this package makes a strong and convincing case to federal officials that bases and assets currently operating in Alabama should stay in Alabama for many years to come.”
You can find all 10 bills below:
Ainsworth Highlights Enactment of Pro-Military Legislative Package by Caleb Taylor on Scribd
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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