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Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday signed into law a handful of bills that deliver on her promises and will benefit Alabamians now and in the future.
During the governor’s inaugural and State of the State addresses, she emphasized the importance of improving school choice in Alabama. She said those efforts must begin with improving the school choice Alabama already has: Public charter schools and the Alabama Accountability Act scholarship program.
The Legislature answered that call by passing both House Bill 363 and Senate Bill 263, and the governor has signed the bills.
“While some parents in other states are finding themselves being forced aside, here in Alabama, we believe strongly that a parent should be able to decide what is best for their own child’s education,” Ivey said. “To help support high quality education and create more choices for parents, I have prioritized improving school choice. Both HB363 and SB263 will certainly help us make progress, and the bill sponsors Representative Terri Collins and Senators Donnie Chesteen and Will Barfoot did yeomen’s work in getting this needed legislation across the finish line. I am proud to put my signature on these two bills so that more students have an opportunity for a strong educational experience.”
Ivey also successfully championed funding charter schools, in addition to this needed legislation.
The governor has also said that today’s economy is hurting working families and businesses all across the country. That is why she has committed to providing relief in the pocketbooks of Alabamians and supporting businesses while also being responsible with taxpayer dollars.
House Bill 217 by Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, which eliminates income taxes on all overtime pay for Alabama hourly workers, does just that. Prior to signing HB217, Ivey added an executive amendment to remove the $25 million annual cap, move up the program’s sunset date to June 30, 2025, and add reporting requirements to better monitor the fiscal impact of the overtime-pay exemption on the State’s Education Trust Fund.
After signing HB217, she issued the following statement:
“Today’s national economy presents challenges for working families, especially our blue-collar, hourly workers,” Ivey said. “The men and women of the Legislature, alongside my Administration, have worked diligently to provide relief to Alabamians wherever possible while also being mindful of the fact our budgets will not always be in a place of such surplus. By eliminating state income taxes on all overtime pay, we are directly putting more hard-earned money into the pockets of our hardest, most dedicated workers and helping our employers overcome workforce shortages, which has become one of their biggest challenges. I appreciate Minority Leaders Daniels and the Legislature’s measured approach on this bill, and I’m proud to sign it into law.”
