Lawmakers adjourned for spring break on Thursday, March 12.
The House is scheduled to return for committee meetings on Wednesday, March 26. The Senate will return on Tuesday, March 31.
Ivey signs third-party audit bill
Gov. Kay Ivey has signed HB 158 by state Rep. Paul Lee (Dothan) and SB 130 by Sen. Clay Scofield (Guntersville).
The legislation, which had the support of NFIB, prohibits third-party audit and collection firms from charging back the cost of an audit to the taxpayer.
When NFIB asked its members about this issue on the 2020 Member Ballot, 95% said they would support the measure.
E-Verify bill amended
SB 107 by Sen. Arthur Orr (Decatur) originally would have required any business that applies for a business license or permit from a municipality or county and who employs one or more persons to prove enrollment in E-Verify prior to the issuance of a business license or permit. A false affidavit submitted by the business owner would be a Class C misdemeanor.
Senator Orr agreed to accept the NFIB recommendation to make substantial changes in the bill to reduce the burden on small businesses. The revised legislation would require businesses to annually certify on their business privilege tax form they use E-Verify for the hiring of new employees. The Class C misdemeanor is no longer part of the bill.
School calendar bill introduced
HB 411 was introduced by Rep. Steve Hurst (Munford) with the support of co-sponsors including House SpeakerMac McCutcheon (Huntsville), Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter (Rainsville) and Rep. Bill Poole (Tuscaloosa), who chairs the House Ways and Means Education Committee.
HB 411 would make it a rule that K-12 public schools must end by Memorial Day and start the third Monday in August. Schools will develop their own calendars and holidays within these dates.
When asked about the issue on the 2020 Member Ballot, 70% of NFIB members in the state said they would support it. Small business owners have struggled for years to find qualified workers. Extending summer break would give businesses more time to find, hire, and train young workers.
Run-off election
Secretary of State John Merrill says the primary runoff will be March 31, as scheduled. Voters who want to vote by absentee ballot have until March 26 to apply. Click here for more information.
