Back in September, House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) predicted Republican state lawmakers' decision to allow a tax exemption on overtime earnings to lapse in 2025 would come back as a campaign issue.
Based on an interview that Democrat gubernatorial hopeful Doug Jones conducted with Huntsville television WHNT's Emily Moessner, that appears to be the case.
"We need to put back in place the fact that we shouldn't tax overtime pay," Jones said in one of his first media appearances as a formally declared candidate. "You know, the legislature passed that, everybody was happy with it. Even businesses were happy with that, and all of a sudden, they started taking things like that away. That just doesn't make sense to me."
House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) resisted calls to extend the overtime tax exemption throughout the 2025 legislative session, citing the hit to state coffers and his desire to maintain fiscal conservatism.
However, he did signal a willingness to revisit the issue at the end of the 2025 session.
Jeff Poor is the editor-in-chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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