Alabama
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
“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.”
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jacob Crews scored 20, and Anthony Robinson II added 19 in Missouri’s 85-77 win over Alabama State on Thursday night.
Crews shot 7 of 9 from the field, including 6 of 8 from the 3-point arc. Mark Mitchell added 15 points for Missouri (9-2), and Sebastian Mack added 10.
The Tigers had a 15-0 run in the first half, heading into the locker room up 52-39. Alabama State was held scoreless over a 4:19 drought in the middle of the second half to open a 9-0 run for the Tigers. The Hornets (3-8) responded with their own 10-0 run to bring the game within eight, 74-62. The Tigers regained control, though, to keep their eight-point lead the rest of the game, handing Alabama State their fourth loss in a row.
The Tigers shot 65% (33 of 51). Both teams shot 50% from the free-throw line.
Alabama State outscored Missouri in the final period, 38-33. Asjon Anderscon scored 23 for the Hornets, leading all players in scoring.
Up next
Missouri hosts Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 14.
Alabama State travels to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats on Dec. 17.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Let’s crank up a Thursday edition of “The Joe Gaither Show on BamaCentral” with Mason Woods and Katie Windham as we start getting ready for next week’s College Football Playoff game between Alabama and Oklahoma. Windham detailed how the Crimson Tide can improve over the next few weeks, we discuss the team’s health and look back at our last road trip to Norman. The show then discusses the Heisman Trophy finalists before addressing a Kalen DeBoer coaching rumor.
The program opens by power ranking the holidays before discussing Windham’s three areas the Crimson Tide can improve over the next week. Our trio picks the easiest area the team can improve and how Alabama must perform in Norman. Windham details our last trip to Oklahoma as we go down memory lane to the Sooners’ 24-3 victory last season.
The show continues on by getting Windham’s thoughts on Alabama’a College Football Playoff selection and if the Crimson Tide actually deserved its place in the field. She brings up a unique aspect of Alabama’s blowout loss in the SEC Championship and how it played into the program’s inclusion in the College Football Playoffs.
We move from next week’s game into a small discussion on Notre Dame’s reaction of being left out of the field and how it relates to Alabama’s future home-and-home dates with the Fighting Irish. Will the two esteemed programs still face off in a few years?
The show heads into the only college football action of the weekend by highlighting the strong Heisman Trophy finalist field. Who brings home the bronze statue?
Lastly, we spend the final bit of the show talking about Michigan firing Sherrone Moore and the reports of the Wolverines considering persuing Kalen DeBeor for their next head coach. Will DeBoer leave Tuscaloosa for Ann Arbor?
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Call (205) 462-7340 Extension 800 to leave your thoughts in a voicemail, and you’ll be featured on the show. You can also join us live in the comment sections Monday through Friday at 8:15 a.m. CT.
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – As holiday deliveries ramp up, a new Alabama law aims to deter package theft by raising penalties for so-called “porch piracy.” The law, which went into effect on October 1, 2025, makes repeated package theft a felony and can carry prison sentences of up to 10 years in the most serious cases.
What changed
Previously, many package thefts in Alabama were charged as misdemeanor theft because the value of individual stolen packages often fell below felony thresholds. Under the new law however, lawmakers established penalties that focus on the number of homes targeted rather than the dollar value of items stolen:
- Stealing from 1 to 9 homes: most serious misdemeanor
- Stealing from 10 to 29 homes: felony
- Stealing from 30 or more homes: can result in up to 10 years in prison
The law also increases penalties if stolen packages are used to commit identity theft or fraud. In addition, anyone who knowingly receives packages stolen by a porch pirate can be charged under the new rules.
Lawmakers weigh in
Senator April Weaver, one of the bill’s sponsors, said the change was meant to protect Alabama families during the holidays.
“It was really important to protect the people not only in my district but throughout the state of Alabama and to make sure their hard-earned money is going to their children’s Christmas,” she said.
On camera, Senator Weaver added with holiday humor, “It means the Grinch may have stolen Christmas in Whoville, but if he does it in Alabama, he’ll have plenty of time in state prison for his heart to grow three sizes.”
What police recommend if your package is stolen
If you discover a stolen package, law enforcement recommends:
- Report the theft to police immediately.
- Preserve any doorbell or surveillance footage that may show the theft.
- Contact the delivery company right away to report the missing item.
- Consider requiring a signature on delivery to reduce the risk of theft.
The law went into effect on October 1, 2025; this December marks the first holiday season it is in effect. Alabama is now one of more than a dozen states that have passed laws specifically targeting package theft. Supporters say the law sends a stronger message that porch piracy will no longer be treated as a minor offense.
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