Staff Report
From the Office of State Sen. Bryan Taylor
PRATTVILLE, Ala. – State Sen. Bryan Taylor, R-Prattville, released the following statement after learning the results of today’s statewide referendum, in which voters approved transferring $437 million from the Alabama Trust Fund to help cover the operational expenses of state government for the next three years:
“The outcome of today’s referendum must not be mistaken as a license to spend. It is a temporary grant of public trust in our commitment to restore fiscal responsibility in state government. To prove that we deserve that trust, our first order of business in the next legislative session must be to pass a law to pay it back.
“This Amendment does not solve the structural deficit in the state’s general fund; it merely extends a grace period to allow ongoing reforms to take hold and produce savings. The taxpayers expect us to use this time wisely to carry out the aggressive cost-cutting, efficiency-driven agenda we’ve already begun and to refocus budgetary priorities on the essential, core functions of government.
“Mandating repayment by law will keep critical pressure on this and future legislatures and governors to implement the reforms necessary to put Alabama on a sound financial footing for the next generation.”
