News

It's considered one of Alabama's biggest industrial projects.  Airbus will break ground on a new aircraft assembly plant in Mobile.  Top executives will be on the port city today for a ceremony to mark the start of construction on the Airbus plant at Brookley Aeroplex. 

Pump Prices Drop

Gas prices have been dropping.  The latest AAA Fuel Gauge Report find the average price fell 11 cents over the past month, with a gallon of regular averaging $3.40 statewide.  AAA reports the national average price for regular is 19 cents higher at $3.59 a gallon.

Despite opposition from Alabama sheriffs and business interests, the Alabama Senate worked into the night and approved legislation to ease some of the state's gun restrictions.  The Senate voted 27-5 for the bill sponsored by Republican Scott Beason of Jefferson County.  The legislation which goes to the Alabama House for consideration would allow workers to keep guns locked in their vehicles while at their jobs and it would allow people to get a lifetime permit to keep guns in their vehicles. 

Repeal School Accountability

Alabamians receiving emergency unemployment benefits will see their benefit reduced by 12.8 percent.  State Labor Commissioner Tom Surtees said in a statement the reduced benefits will start for weeks beginning April 28th through September 30th.  The Labor Department estimates that around 16,000 Alabamians currently receive federal emergency jobless benefits. 

Scottsboro Boys

A Montgomery Legislator estimates that a controversial school tax credit could cost the state between $50 to $60 million dollars next year.   Al.com reports the numbers come from State Representative Jay Love, Chairman of the House Education budget committee.  Love said he knows Democrats remain opposed to the Accountability Act, but he believes the changes will help Alabama school children.  The exact cost of the program will depend on how many families take the school tax credit. 

Grand Opening

Lawmakers are back in Montgomery as the second half of this year's regular session gets underway.  The to-do list includes hammering out both the general fund and education budgets.  Democratic Representative Joe Hubbard of Montgomery predicts the session's latter half will be slow going.  He claims the power-play used in muscling school accountability legislation through the legislature is to blame.  15 legislative days remain in the 2013 regular session.  Bills on guns, abortion and Medicaid also await action. 

Statehouse Rally

The Alabama Legislature returns from its spring break today to begin the second half of its 2013 session.  Legislators in the House are expected to debate on the Education budget and a bill to legalize home brewing of wind and beer.  Another bill pending in the state Senate would rewrite state gun laws and allow people to carry pistols in their vehicles without a concealed permit.  Bobby Timmons, Executive Director of the Alabama Sheriff's Association, is strongly opposed to the bill.  The Business Council of Alabama has also criticized the bill. 

Double Shooting

Alabama Department of Transportation officials say more than half of the people killed in car crashes last year were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.  State officials released a report based on preliminary data from the Alabama State Troopers indicating that 59 percent of people who died in traffic accidents in 2012 were not wearing seatbelts.  Officials say 424 traffic fatality victims were in vehicles where seatbelts were available and 251 were not wearing them at the time of the crash.  Officials say a total of 513 people died in crashes investigated by state troopers

A new survey of Alabama teachers finds that a majority of them support having armed security officers in their schools.  The same survey found that teachers who responded said they oppose allowing administrators and teachers having guns in school.  The survey was conducted by the Capital Survey Research Center, the polling arm of the Alabama Education Association.  The survey was conducted with 699 public school teachers across the state in late January, not long after the December school shootings in Connecticut.  Overall the survey found that most teachers feel their schools are safe. 

Governor Robert Bentley told retired educators Tuesday that he signed a bill providing private school tax credits because of the flexibility it gives public schools to try new ideas to improve learning.  Bentley said he knew he would be facing an upset audience when he addressed the Alabama Education Retirees Association in Montgomery, but he did it because of his respect for teachers.  Bentley told the retired educators he understand their anger.  The Alabama Accountability Act provides tax credits for parents who send their children to a private school rather than a public school rated as

The Internal Revenue Service estimates 440,000 Alabamians will wait until April to file their tax returns.  IRS spokesman Dan Boone says people waiting until close to the April 15th deadline should not miss out on earned income tax credits.  He said many lower-income workers can qualify.  A person who worked some part of 2012 and had a household income below $50,270 dollars may qualify.  Boone said there are many IRS-certified volunteers who will prepare and file tax returns for free. 

Medicaid Overhaul ?