Connect with us

Alabama

Alabama paper plant technician: Overtime tax exemption ‘should not be taken away from us’

Published

on

Alabama paper plant technician: Overtime tax exemption ‘should not be taken away from us’


Mable McIntosh, a technician at the Georgia-Pacific plant in Pennington, says workers at the plant have benefitted from the state income tax exemption on overtime pay, which is scheduled to expire in June.Mike Cason/AL.com

A state income tax exemption on overtime pay that has been in effect since January 2024 will expire at the end of June unless the Alabama Legislature acts.

Democrats in the state House of Representatives support making the exemption permanent.

On Wednesday, they brought employees who have benefitted from the exemption to the Alabama State House to help make their case.

Advertisement

Mable McIntosh, a technician at the Georgia-Pacific plant in Pennington, which makes Angel Soft toilet paper and Sparkle paper towels, said lawmakers need to find a way to keep the exemption in place.

“A lot of our overtime is forced overtime,” McIntosh said. “It’s not that we’re volunteering for this overtime. It’s mandatory, because the companies that we work for, they face shortages, labor shortages. We have to work overtime to keep production going in those mills.

“To have that overtime be exempt, that’s important. That’s well deserved. And it’s something that should not be taken away from us now.”

The exemption came with an expiration date because of concerns about how much it would reduce state income tax revenues, which support public education.

The state Revenue Department reported last year that the exemption amounted to $230 million in the first nine months of 2024, far more than initial estimates.

Advertisement

“We hear all of this about the cost of it,” McIntosh said. “But, hey, find it somewhere else. Don’t put that burden on the workers of Alabama.”

House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, sponsored the bill to create the exemption two years ago, saying it would allow workers to take home more of their pay and would help employers hire and retain workers during a time when some companies are struggling to fill jobs.

Republicans got behind the idea and Daniels’ bill passed with strong bipartisan support.

But the Revenue Department report on how much the exemption cost has created doubts about whether lawmakers will extend it.

Daniels has advocated for making the exemption permanent, saying that it has achieved its intent as an incentive for work and that the benefits outweigh the cost of the exemption because more people are working, paying income taxes, and spending some of their additional income on products that contribute to state and local sales taxes.

Advertisement

He noted that President Trump has advocated for an overtime exemption to the federal income tax.

“These are hard- working Alabamians that are putting into our economy,” Daniels said. “This not money that you’re just handing out. These are not handouts. These are dollars that they’re earning.”

Daniels said he is preparing a bill that would extend the exemption and would include a study to measure the full scope of the impact.

On Tuesday, the Alabama House passed several tax cut bills, including one to reduce the state sales tax on food from 3% to 2% effective Sept. 1.

Another bill doubled the state income tax exemption for withdrawals from individual retirement accounts and 401(k) accounts from $6,000 to $12,000, an exemption that applies to people 65 and older and is estimated to save taxpayers about $45 million a year.

Advertisement

A third bill changed dependent exemptions and standard deductions on state income tax that would allow taxpayers to save about $25 million a year.

The three bills passed without a dissenting vote and go to the Senate.

Daniels said the overtime tax exemption is more beneficial for workers and for the economy. He said a 1-cent cut in the food tax is not enough to offset the sharp rise in many necessities, like eggs.

He said the overtime exemption rewards hard work.

“You’re talking about your law enforcement that are working additional hours because they’re short-staffed,” Daniels said. “You’re talking about your firemen that working additional hours because they’re short-staffed.

Advertisement

“You’re talking about the worker at Hyundai. You’re talking about the worker at Austal. You’re talking the worker at Toyota. You’re talking about workers all across the state of Alabama.”

Nick Doty, a heavy equipment operator at the ABC Coke Plant in Tarrant, said he and his co-workers have seen the benefits of the tax exemption.

“For the first time, I feel like something has affected me immediately,“ Doty said. ”Not tax breaks for big companies. Not tax breaks for huge corporations. But tax breaks for the regular, everyday Alabamian.”



Source link

Advertisement

Alabama

Alabama NAACP Releases 2026 Selma Jubilee Weekend Schedule

Published

on

Alabama NAACP Releases 2026 Selma Jubilee Weekend Schedule


The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP has announced its official schedule for the 2026 NAACP-sponsored Selma Jubilee Bridge Crossing Weekend, set for March 6–8 in Montgomery and Selma.

Held under the theme “A Time for Standing,” the annual commemoration honors the Foot Soldiers of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches and recognizes the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and Rev. Jesse Jackson for their roles in advancing civil rights and voting access.

The three-day event will bring together national, state and local leaders, along with youth and college chapters, faith partners and community members for activities focused on reflection, education and civic engagement.

Scheduled events include a civic discussion titled “The New Civic Path” on March 6 at the Montgomery Interpretive Center at Alabama State University, followed by a Jubilee Gala that evening at Embassy Suites in Montgomery. On March 7, the Birmingham Metro Branch will host a bus trip to Selma, while a statewide civic engagement training will take place in Montgomery.

Advertisement

SEE ALSO: Bridge Crossing Jubilee to honor Rev. Jesse Jackson’s legacy in Selma
SEE ALSO: 16th Street Baptist Church: Keeping a Legacy Alive 63 Years Later

On March 8, participants will take part in the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Parade, voter activation efforts, worship services at Brown Chapel AME Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church, and the traditional bridge crossing at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Organizers say the weekend will emphasize continued civic participation and community engagement across Alabama.

—–

March 6 — Alabama NAACP Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Gala 5:30PM Embassy Suites by Hilton, 300 Tallapoosa St, Montgomery, AL 36104

Advertisement

March 7 — NAACP Birmingham Metro Branch Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Bus Trip 8AM–5PM Broad Street and Water Avenue in Selma Alabama

March 7 — Alabama State NAACP Statewide Civic Engagement Training 8–4:15PM Homewood Suites, 7800 EastChase Pkwy, Montgomery, AL 36117

March 8 — Alabama State NAACP in the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Parade 8AM–10AM Begins at 1722 Broad St and concludes at the National Voting Rights Museum

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Statewide Bridge Crossing Jubilee Bus Trip 8AM–5PM Alabama State University, Untenese and Mobile Branch and University of Alabama, Oakwood University, Broad Street and Water Avenue, Selma

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Participation in Worship Services 10AM–2PM Brown Chapel AME Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church, Selma

Advertisement

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Youth and College Civic Engagement Voter Activation 8AM–2PM Broad Street and Water Ave, Selma

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Statewide Bridge Crossing 11:15PM – Line up Alabama NAACP Tent on Waters Ave or at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma



Source link

Continue Reading

Alabama

3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine

Published

on

3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine



Each player had a pivotal role on the Crimson Tide in 2025.

Alabama had a multitude of former players who performed at an elite level at the NFL combine this past weekend.

Former Alabama star quarterback Ty Simpson was among those who put his talents on full display in Indianapolis, as Simpson continues to emerge as a top quarterback prospect available in April’s draft.

Advertisement

Numerous Crimson Tide stars on both sides of the football were able to have an excellent showing at the combine as well, with each playmaker a vital component to the Tide’s success in 2025.

Here are three Alabama players who helped their draft stock rise at the NFL combine.

Ty Simpson, Quarterback

Simpson is widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect available outside of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The talented redshirt junior put on an absolute show at the NFL combine, as Simpson delivered multiple perfect throws and put his talents on full display throughout Saturday’s events.

The former Alabama star is a candidate to potentially shine day one in his campaign in the NFL, as Simpson’s draft stock continues to rise prior to April.

Jam Miller, Running Back

Advertisement

Miller is an extremely fast and athletic running back, despite struggling in the Tide’s backfield last season. The star running back recorded an impressive 4.43u 40-yard dash time, as Miller could very easily shine in the NFL next season with consistent playing time.

Miller was nothing short of elite throughout his entire performance at the combine in Indianapolis, as the former Tide running back continues to rise in a multitude of draft rankings around the football world.

Kadyn Proctor, Offensive Tackle

Proctor played a crucial role on Alabama’s offensive line last season. The star lineman reportedly slimmed down prior to the NFL combine, as Proctor displayed elite speed and athleticism throughout Sunday’s combine in Indianapolis.

Proctor is widely expected to be a mid-to-late first round selection in April, as the talented lineman’s efforts during the combine could quickly begin to work in Proctor’s favor during next month’s draft.

Advertisement

The 2026 NFL draft will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania starting on April 23, as each Crimson Tide star will look to shine throughout their rookie campaign in the NFL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.





Source link

Continue Reading

Alabama

Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child

Published

on

Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child


A husband fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself at an Alabama hospital just moments after they welcomed their first child on Sunday.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, gunned down 24-year-old Precious Johnson before fatally shooting himself inside the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, WTVM 13 reported.

Johnson delivered a healthy baby just before she was murdered. It’s not immediately clear if the baby was present during the shooting, but police said that Terry and Johnson were the only ones injured.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, shot 24-year-old Precious Johnson at an Alabama hospital after she gave birth to their child. WVTM

Terry’s mother told the outlet that the couple were having some marital issues leading up to Johnson’s due date, but nothing that made her fear her son would become violent.

Advertisement

She told the outlet that Terry completed Army National Guard training before tying the knot with Johnson.

She noted that Johnson didn’t want Terry’s side of the family at the hospital for her child’s birth, but it’s unclear if anyone from the mother-to-be’s own family was there.

The hospital was plunged into a lockdown “out of an abundance of caution” while police investigated reports of a shooting. It wasn’t lifted until hours later when they determined there was “no active threat to patients, team members or the public,” the outlet reported.

The Homewood Police Department described the tragedy as “an apparent murder-suicide and is domestic in nature.”

Terry completed Army National Guard training before marrying Johnson. WVTM
The shooting sent Brookwood Baptist Medical Center into an hours-long lockdown. Google Maps

Danne Howard, the president of the Alabama Hospital Association, told the outlet that the chilling attack “was an isolated incident” unlike anything she’d encountered during her three decades working in the state.

Advertisement

Howard said, in the wake of the tragedy, the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital would undergo a security overhaul implementing “lessons learned” from a mandated after-action report.

Just three months ago, in a town six miles outside of Homewood, a beloved sports reporter was fatally shot by her husband before taking his own life. Their 3-year-old son, who was unharmed, led his grandfather to his parents’ bodies.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending