On Tuesday, the Alabama Senate voted to concur with changes to the state general fund budget made by the House of Representatives last week. Governor Kay Ivey congratulated lawmakers following final passage.

“Here in Alabama, we continue budgeting wisely,” said Gov. Ivey. “Despite the tough national economic climate, our financial footing is strong, and we are able to make investments where they count – investments that will pay dividends for generations to come.”

Ivey said that she will sign the budget into law.

“While being good stewards of taxpayer dollars and ensuring our budgets are prepared for whatever may lie ahead, we are increasing funding in critical services like public safety and mental health care,” said Ivey.

Alabama House passes record $3.4B General Fund budget

The state legislature for since 2020 has been preparing for an economic downtown by carrying over money into the next budgetary year. Since no economic downturn has happened, the state carried over a sizable surplus from 2023 into 2024; thus allowing the Legislature to make a supplemental appropriation in the 2024 budget year. FY2025 will begin on October 1.

“Historically large revenues, high interest rates and our previous conservative budgets have led to Alabama’s general fund being stronger than ever,” said Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville), chair of the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee.

“We’re blessed to be operating from a position of surplus, but it’s also important that we recognize this unprecedented growth is not sustainable long term and remain committed to the conservative budgeting practices that got us here. This year’s General Fund budget and its supplemental appropriation reflect my committee’s commitment to being responsible with taxpayer dollars, and I sincerely appreciate the body voting unanimously to approve them today.”

The House-passed budget is $3,410,393,112 — up from the FY2024 budget of $3,013,400,381.

The supplemental appropriation allocates $2,243,062 from the Youth Services Reimbursement Fund to the Department of Youth Services; $300,000 from the Veterans’ Assistance Fund to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs; and $253,875,169 from the SGF to various state agencies.

Both bills were sponsored by Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) who chairs the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee.

Albritton offers insight into general fund budget decision-making philosophy at BCA

The State of Alabama uses a budgeting system in which over 84% of the money is earmarked to a certain fund and the state has two pots of money, the SGF and the education trust fund (ETF). The Alabama Department of Transportation is funded through fuel taxes outside of the two budgets.

The ETF funds K-12 schools, the two-year college system, the four-year colleges, early childhood education, and universities, and education related agencies such as archives and history. The ETF is funded by personal and corporate income taxes.

The Alabama Departments of Corrections, Medicaid, Commerce, Public Health, Mental Health, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, as well as courts and district attorneys are just some of the agencies appropriated by the general fund.

The General Fund is funded by use taxes on online purchases, insurance taxes, utility taxes, a portion of the property tax, and interest income on the money held in trust in the Alabama Trust Fund.

“I look forward to putting pen to paper and officially signing this budget into law,” Ivey concluded.

“Managing a multibillion-dollar budget and ensuring every state agency is sufficiently funded is undoubtedly one of the most difficult jobs in state government, and I couldn’t be prouder of how Chairman Reynolds and his committee have stepped up to the task. Our wise investments today will lead to a stronger Alabama of tomorrow.”

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A long-long-term housing development

Some housing developments are more involved than others. The one that’s coming to Interstates 65 and 565 is an ambitious one.

AL.com’s William Thornton reports that a planned development between Huntsville and Decatur near Mooresville covers 411 acres, will cost $2.2 billion, result in 3,500 homes and could take three decades to complete. (Think the market might go up and down during that time?)

1818 Farms Co-owner Laurence McCrary and his sister, Margaret Anne Crumlish, are selling the property to the developers in a land-partnership model that will make the project a slow build. McCrary said it’s not something they went after, but since growth is coming anyway, “We think a well thought out, predominantly residential development is the best way to do it. Not something quick, fast and cheap, and the key was finding like-minded developers.”

The developers are Rochford Realty & Construction of Nashville and Land Innovations of Brentwood, Tenn.

If you’re interested in seeing what the concept might look like, it was modeled on the Stephens Valley planned community near Nashville. Swing by on your next trip to the Opry.

RIP Hootie Ingram

Former college football player, coach and athletics director Hootie Ingram has passed away, reports AL.com’s Creg Stephenson.

Cecil “Hootie” Ingram was born in Tuscaloosa, he was living there when he died, and he’ll be buried there Saturday at Calvary Baptist Church.

He played football and baseball at the University of Alabama in the 1950s and was an ALL-SEC defensive back as a sophomore. He played a year in the NFL and then coached high school and college ball, culminating in three seasons as Clemson’s head coach from 1970-72.

According to Clemson University, it was Ingram who pushed for a logo design that resulted in that Tiger Paw print.

After that he was an associate commissioner for the SEC, then was athletics director at Florida State as the Seminoles rose to national prominence in the 80s and at Alabama in time to hire Gene Stallings as head football coach.

He resigned from Alabama when it was placed on NCAA probation in 1995.

Hootie Ingram was 90 years old.

Court setback for the AG

A federal judge denied Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit claiming he can’t prosecute people who facilitate Alabamians seeking abortions in other states, reports AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz.

The lawsuit was filed by abortion-rights groups and alleges that Marshall violated free-speech rights when he made a statement claiming anyone who helps women travel to and obtain abortions in states where it’s legal can be charged with conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson would not throw out the case. He wrote that Marshall’s claims on the right to travel defy “history, precedent and common sense.”

“Such a constrained conception of the right to travel would erode the privileges of national citizenship and is inconsistent with the Constitution.”

By the Numbers

That’s how long it took for the MLB at Rickwood Field game (Cardinals-Giants, June 20) to sell out on Monday. More than 5,000 available tickets went on sale for Alabama residents who had pre-registered and were selected in a lottery. They could buy one or two tickets with prices starting at $275 per ticket. Secondary markets had tickets priced from around $600 to more than $1,500.

More Alabama News

Quiz results

Here are the answers and how we did, cumulatively, on this week’s Down in Alabama news quiz:

Demonstrators at the University of Alabama, calling for the school to cut ties to a defensive contractor because of the Israel-Hamas war, and counter-protestors at times both voiced disapproval of this person:

• Joe Biden (CORRECT) 64.3%
• Benjamin Netanyahu 30.4%
• Donald Trump 4.1%
• Sean “Diddy” Combs 1.2%

According to the most recent CDC data, this city has the highest STD rate in the state:

• Montgomery (CORRECT) 59.6%
• Mobile 20.8%
• Birmingham 18.4%
• Smuteye 1.2%

Which of these cities has NOT had its police chief be suspended, resign or get fired this year?

• Madison (CORRECT) 74.9%
• Selma 12.0%
• Montgomery 7.6%
• Mobile 5.6%

Birmingham Police’s effort to curb street racing and illegal exhibition driving has been dubbed what?

• Operation Knight Rider (CORRECT) 61.4%
• Operation Fast and Furious 28.9%
• Operation Hazzard 9.1%
• Operation Leave it to Beaver 0.6%

What grabbed attention when it landed next to the track at the Children’s of Alabama IndyCar Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park?

• A mannequin (CORRECT) 72.2%
• A sandhill crane 15.5%
• An Alexander Shunnarah billboard 7.6%
• A spy balloon 4.7%

The podcast

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