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As Alabama prepares to observe the first anniversary of deadly tornadoes last April 27, the Legislature has approved the creation of a tax-free weekend for buying disaster preparedness supplies.
The bill by Republican Rep. Bill Poole of Tuscaloosa cleared the Senate 28-0 and the House 87-0 Thursday. Gov. Robert Bentley signed the bill into law.
"I want to thank Representative Poole for his hard work on this legislation," said Sen. Greg Reed (R-Jasper). "I'm so proud that we are able to provide this weekend for Alabamians. Alabama experienced one of the worst disasters the state has seen last year; this weekend is going to help Alabamians weather the storm."
The bill specifies that the tax-free weekend will occur July 6-8 this year and the last full weekend in February in subsequent years.
Items covered by the legislation include:
Several types of batteries, including cell phone batteries and chargers
Battery-powered radios
NOAA weather radios
Flashlights, lanterns, and emergency glow sticks
First aid kits
Duct tape
Plywood, window film or other materials, specifically designed to protect window openings
Portable generators
Gas or Diesel fuel containers
Tarpaulins and plastic sheeting
Any non-electric food storage cooler or water storage container
Non-electric can openers
Any artificial ice, blue ice, ice packs, or reusable ice
Fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors
Ground anchor systems such as cords or rope or tie-down kits
The law waives the state's 4 percent sales tax on these items. Legislative fiscal experts predict the bill will reduce the state's sales tax collections by $4 million annually.
"The bottom line is this sales tax holiday can help save lives," Governor Bentley said. "We want to encourage people to stock up on supplies that will help them safely weather a storm and its aftermath."
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. WSFA 12 News contributed. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Governor Bentley signs the bill into law.
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