Alabama
Alabama 2024 Legislative Report: Week Two
The Alabama Legislature met for days 4, 5, and 6 in the second week of the 2024 Regular Session. 15 committee meetings were held throughout the week.
DURING THE WEEK
The House passed comprehensive gaming legislation which would allow casino gaming, sports wagering and a state lottery. HB151 by Representative Chris Blackshear is the Constitutional Amendment that would be voted on by the public to authorize the enterprises in HB152, also by Representative Chris Blackshear, which sets out the specifics. The bills now go to the Senate for consideration. If the Constitutional Amendment is approved by the public, there will regulated, limited forms of gaming along with provisions banning current illegal gaming in the state.
The Senate spent most its time debating and ultimately passing SB1 by Senator Garland Gudger which prohibits certain assistance in the preparation of absentee ballots, SB10 by Senator Chris Elliott providing that county and municipal library board members serve at the pleasure of the appointing authorities, and SB77 by Senator Chris Elliott which revises the composition of the Board of the Department of Archives and History.
NOTABLE FLOOR ACTION THIS WEEK
HOUSE FLOOR
HB151 by Rep. Blackshear: A proposed Constitutional Amendment to authorize an official state lottery, casino-style games, limited sports wagering, traditional raffles, and traditional paper bingo (as amended).
HB152 by Rep. Blackshear: To establish the Alabama Gaming Commission, to define the various forms of gaming allowed under the bill, provide for the various gaming licenses, fees, and taxes, establish the Alabama Lottery Corporation, provide for the creation and operation of a state lottery, and provide for the distribution of the various fees and taxes collected (as amended).
SENATE FLOOR
SB1 by Sen. Gudger: To prohibit any person from ordering, requesting, collecting, prefilling, obtaining, or delivering an absentee ballot application or absentee ballot of a voter in certain circumstances and to provide for exceptions (as substituted and amended).
SB10 by Sen. Elliott: To provide that library board members shall serve at the pleasure of their respective appointing authorities (as amended).
SB23 by Sen. Williams: To prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of meat made from cultured animal cells (as substituted).
SB63 by Sen. Carnley: To provide that a county commission is not liable for and may not be a party to a suit challenging the expenditure or use of public funds where a local law provides that the public funds are to be expended or used at the discretion of a single public official.
SB77 by Sen. Elliott: To revise the composition of the Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives (as amended).
SB83 by Sen. Smitherman: To provide that indigent defense attorneys are compensated based on the level of the original criminal charge, and to revise the total compensation caps for indigent defense attorneys (as amended).
NOTABLE COMMITTEE ACTION THIS WEEK
HOUSE COMMITTEES
HB66 by Rep. Brown: To require food service establishments to notify consumers of the country of origin of seafood products, use the correct common name of seafood products, and notify consumers as to whether fish or shrimp are farm-raised or wild (Public Hearing but no vote in House Ports, Waterways and Intermodal Transit Committee).
HB87 by Rep. Brown: To authorize an airport authority to form any necessary legal business entity or venture relating to airport operations and conduct any activities required for the operation of the authority (House Ports, Waterways and Intermodal Transit Committee).
HB93 by Rep. Stubbs: To provide that a county commission is not liable for and may not be a party to a suit challenging the expenditure or use of public funds where a local law provides that the public funds are to be expended or used at the discretion of a single public official (House County and Municipal Government Committee).
HB121 by Rep. Stubbs: To provide that a supervisor may not take any adverse employment action against a county or municipal employee who reports a violation of law or rule to a public body (House County and Municipal Government Committee).
HB128 by Rep. Gidley: To define the term “place of worship” and prohibit a municipal historic preservation commission from designating a place of worship as a historic property or historic district, authorize a place of worship to voluntarily agree to be designated as a historic property or historic district, and to authorize a place of worship that was previously designated as a historic property or historic district to agree to that designation (House Urban and Rural Development Committee).
SENATE COMMITTEES
SB53 by Sen. Orr: To eliminate the eligibility to work form currently required of individuals under the age of 16 (Senate Children and Youth Health Committee).
SB60 by Sen. Orr: To provide for the allocation of funds to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to facilitate growth in the state’s system of inland ports and transfer facilities and for the coordination of a transportation system for inland waterways (Public Hearing but no vote in Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee).
SB61 by Sen. Orr: To create the CHOOSE Act to establish a refundable income tax credit to offset the cost of qualifying educational expenses, to direct the Department of Revenue to establish education savings accounts through which parents can access funds to direct the education of participating students, and to establish program requirements for parents of participating students, education service providers and participating schools (Public Hearing but no vote in Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee).
SB62 by Sen. Orr: To provide for a sales and use tax exemption for purchases of certain baby supplies, baby formula, maternity clothing, and menstrual hygiene products (Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee).
SB64 by Sen. Stutts: To authorize the operation of off-road vehicles on certain county roads if the vehicle meets certain conditions, and to allow other off-road vehicles to cross a county road under certain conditions (Public Hearing but no vote in Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee).
NOTABLE INTRODUCTIONS
HOUSE
HB162 by Rep. Lomax: To provide a cap in increases on Class IV property tax assessments under certain conditions (Assigned to House Ways and Means General Fund Committee).
HB165 by Rep. Brown: To require written consent of a parent or legal guardian for any minor to receive a vaccination (Assigned to House Judiciary Committee).
HB167 by Rep. Sells: To require manufacturers of certain Internet-enabled devices, manufactured on or after January 1, 2025, to contain a filter that is activated if the user is a minor, and only allow a user with a password to deactivate or reactivate the filter (Assigned to House Judiciary Committee).
HB169 by Rep. Woods: To require each public preK-12 school to post the curricula for each class on the website of the school and to permit parents or guardians to examine instructional and supplemental materials used in the classroom upon request (Assigned to House Education Policy Committee).
HB171 by Rep. Sells: To exempt certain aircraft from ad valorem taxation (Assigned to House Ways and Means General Fund Committee).
HB180 by Rep. Shirey: To increase the compensation for election workers in Mobile County and authorizing the appointment and compensation of computer technical assistants (Assigned to Mobile County Legislation Committee).
HB181 by Rep. Lipscomb: To create the Alabama Waters Task Force to consider and address issues relating to Alabama’s water resources (Assigned to House Ports, Waterways and Intermodal Transit Committee).
HB183 by Rep. Lipscomb: To prohibit the state and political subdivisions of the state, and their law enforcement officers, agents, and employeesfrom transporting homeless individuals to another city or county within the state, unless being done for a lawful purpose (Assigned to House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee).
HB186 by Rep. Pettus: To prohibit political parties from disqualifying an individual from running for office based solely on receipt of contributions from a particular person or political action committee (Assigned to House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee).
SENATE
SB87 by Sen. Allen: A proposed Constitutional Amendment to require local boards of education to adopt policies requiring each K-12 public school to broadcast or sanction the performance of The Star Spangled Banner at least once per week during school hours (Assigned to Senate Education Policy Committee).
SB90 by Sen. Sessions: To require food service establishments to notify consumers of the country of origin of seafood products, use the correct common name of seafood products, and notify consumers as to whether fish or shrimp are farm-raised or wild (Assigned to Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee).
SB91 by Sen. Coleman-Madison: To provide for an additional license tax and registration fee on motor vehicles and for the distribution of the proceeds to the Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund (Assigned to Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund).
SB92 by Sen. Weaver: To define man, woman, boy, girl, father, mother, male, female and sex for purposes of state law, to provide policy on the differences between sexes, to provide that state and local public entities may establish separate single-sexspaces or environments in certain circumstances, and require the state or political subdivisions that collect vital statistics related to sex as male or female for certain purposes to identify each individual as either male or female at birth (Assigned to Senate County and Municipal Government Committee).
SB94 by Sen. Carnley: To exempt the gross proceeds from the sale of honeybees and their byproducts from state sales and use tax (Assigned to Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee).
SB95 by Sen. Figures: To specify that an individual under 21 years of age commits a violation for the possession of an electronic nicotine delivery system or other electronic battery-powered device capable of producing a vapor upon inhalation, without regard to which particular e-liquid or other substance, if any, was contained or otherwise used in the device (Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee).
SB97 by Sen. Coleman-Madison: To prohibit individuals from storing a loaded firearm where a reasonable individual know a minor is likely to gain access to the firearm, and provide a criminal penalty for violating this prohibition (Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee).
SB98 by Sen. Orr: To establish the School Security Program within the State Department of Education, require periodic inspections of school facilities at public K-12 schools, and to provide criteria for school security inspections (Assigned to Senate Education Policy Committee).
SB110 by Sen. Sessions: To limit the assessed value of certain real property for ad valorem tax purposes, with exceptions (Assigned to Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee).
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – You don’t find too many camps where you learn how to slap someone. But this summer, you will in Montgomery. It’s one of many kids camps put on by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
“We have our Camp Shakespeare Junior which is our half day for the littles, kindergarten through 3rd grade,” said Cameron Williams, the ASF director of education. “We have Big Kid Shakespeare camp and everyone is learning all about ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.”
They learn about on stage combat, different acting techniques, and also how to be creative and think on their feet.
“I think theater skills are life skills. So, what makes this camp special is we’re doing more than just boosting literacy and doing theater things. We’re doing life skills, learning what it means to be team players, about discipline, and working with people who may have different personalities than you.”
Different kids have different talents. And even if your child isn’t up for a lead role in the next play, this place can leave a lasting impact.
“If you’re looking for a place where your kid can come out of their shell, to learn how to speak in front of a group, and develop some confidence, this is the place to be.”
It’s a place that’s a real treasure in Montgomery, and its mining some young gems, who one day, could be on the big stage themselves. There are still more ASF camps going on this summer for pre-teens and even adults.
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Huntsville-based defense contractor LOGZONE Inc. has agreed to pay $507,144 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts with the U.S. Department of the Navy, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The settlement resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act alleging that LOGZONE knowingly submitted claims for payment while not meeting certain cybersecurity standards required under two Navy contracts.
Federal officials alleged that between May 2021 and March 2025, LOGZONE did not implement specific cybersecurity controls outlined in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171. The standards are designed to protect sensitive defense information handled by government contractors.
According to the Justice Department, the deficiencies were identified during an assessment conducted by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The evaluation resulted in LOGZONE receiving a score of -170 on a scale ranging from -203 to 110, indicating significant gaps in compliance with required security controls.
The government alleged that the missing cybersecurity measures could have increased the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information or the exploitation of company systems.
The settlement does not include a determination of liability. As part of the agreement, LOGZONE will pay $507,144 to resolve the allegations.
Federal officials said the enforcement action reflects ongoing efforts to ensure government contractors comply with cybersecurity obligations tied to federal contracts, particularly those involving sensitive defense information.
The investigation and settlement involved the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the Department of the Navy, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
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Additional details regarding corrective actions taken by the company were not immediately available.
Alabama
Alabama’s Self-Proclaimed ‘AI Watchman’ Unseats Incumbent Public Service Commissioner – Inside Climate News
MOBILE, Ala.—Jim Zeigler didn’t have much time to celebrate.
The morning after his Republican primary victory on Tuesday and a gathering of supporters at Wintzell’s Oyster House, the 78-year-old hit the road early to drive the nearly four hours to his hometown of Sylacauga, southwest of Birmingham, to attend a funeral.
But even this early, Zeigler already had his mind on November.
“It’s going to be a tough, tough race,” Zeigler said.
He may be right.
Like Republicans across the South, Zeigler pointed to recent public service commission elections in Georgia—two Republican to Democratic flips—as a seeming electoral mandate from voters: Lower energy bills and curb data centers, or face citizens’ wrath at the ballot box.
But, Zeigler said, he believes Democrats’ success in Georgia also came because of an influx of campaign cash from out-of-state donors—a challenge he said he anticipates Alabama Republicans in utility regulation races will face in November as well.
“It’s not only a possibility that kind of campaign will be attempted in Alabama,” Zeigler said. “It sneaked up on the Republicans of Georgia. It won’t sneak up on me.”
The election of a Democrat to one of Alabama’s at-large PSC seats would be a major electoral shakeup. The last Democrat to serve on the body was elected in 2008.
Zeigler said his aim in the campaign—both in the primary and general—is to channel voters’ frustrations about data centers and solar farms.
It was those issues, according to Zeigler, that put him past the finish line in the race against his Republican opponent, Chris Beeker, an incumbent with a 5 to 1 campaign finance advantage.
Beeker, who was appointed to serve the remainder of his father’s term, ran a much less vocal campaign, a stark contrast to Zeigler’s.
During his campaign, Zeigler has promised he will serve as an “AI watchman in Alabama,” shielding residents from the economic and environmental burdens of the data centers that power AI technology.
He said he will soon begin rolling out a detailed plan about how he’ll conduct that oversight. One of the first things that should be made public, Zeigler said, is a list of all data centers in Alabama currently operating, proposed or under construction.
“Right now there is no such a list available to the public,” Zeigler said.
Both Alabama Power and the Alabama Public Service Commission have declined requests by Inside Climate News for such a list.
Still, despite Zeigler’s pledges, the ability of he or any other public service commissioner to regulate industry effectively will soon be more limited than ever before. Earlier this year, the Alabama Legislature passed a law expanding the commission from three to seven seats and consolidating regulatory power in a newly-created secretary of energy.
Experts said the legislation stood to benefit Alabama Power, the state’s largest utility, by making the initiation of rate cases scrutinizing energy prices more difficult.
Zeigler seemed reticent to criticize the new law on Wednesday.
“The fact is it’s law,” he said. “It’s something that I’m just going to have to live with. Move on.”
This won’t be Zeigler’s first time serving on the body. A perennial candidate, he served on the Public Service Commission for a single term from 1975 to 1979. Half a century later, after running for various offices and serving as Alabama’s state auditor from 2015 to 2023, Zeigler said he recognizes that if he wins in November, he’ll be serving in a state much different than it was all that time ago. In 1979, Zeigler said, no one had heard of a data center, much less had one proposed to be built in their back yard. Times have changed. Now, Zeigler himself is figuring out how to deal with ever-evolving technology.
Zeigler said while his campaign hasn’t generated AI images for publication, it may have shared some created by supporters. Both Zeigler’s website and social media pages feature AI-generated images, one portraying Zeigler in a heroic stance, “THE WATCHMAN” emblazoned across the bottom.
In it, Zeigler holds a bottle labeled “sunlight, integrity, common sense and sweet tea.” Zeigler, in a houndstooth blazer, a cape and a “people over profits” belt buckle, appears above a monster truck painted in the University of Alabama’s crimson and white. “Zeigler,” the side of the truck says. “Watching out for Alabama!”
Ultimately, Zeigler said it doesn’t matter if his campaign or supporters use AI-generated images in his run for office.
“I guess eventually I’m going to have to learn how to use AI,” he said. “But the idea that you can’t be a watchman over data centers and try to oversee them if you use any AI yourself is a juvenile analysis.”
Zeigler will face Democrat Sheila McNeil in the November election.
About This Story
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Thank you,
Lee Hedgepeth
Reporter, Alabama
Lee Hedgepeth is Inside Climate News’ Alabama reporter. Raised in Grand Bay, Alabama, a small town on the Gulf Coast, Lee holds master’s degrees in community journalism and political development from the University of Alabama and Tulane University. Lee is the founder of Tread, a newsletter of Southern journalism, and has also worked for news outlets across Alabama, including CBS 42, Alabama Political Reporter and the Anniston Star. His reporting has focused on issues impacting members of marginalized groups, including homelessness, poverty, and the death penalty. His award-winning journalism has appeared in publications across the country and has been cited by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, among others.
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