7 days left in Alabama’s legislative session

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - With seven days remaining in this year’s legislative session, lawmakers will get back to work in Montgomery Tuesday. And there are some big issues on the agenda.

Lawmakers still have to tackle both the general fund and the education budget.

The general fund budget is still in a conference committee. The Senate passed the historic $2.7 billion general fund budget in February. The House approved the budget, but with small changes. It must now pass the conference committee before heading back to the Senate.

The education budget, which includes pay raises for teachers, totals more than $8.1 billion. It has passed the House and is now before a Senate committee.

Lawmakers will also take up the latest gambling legislation. There are now four pieces of legislation in the Statehouse that would bring gambling or a lottery to Alabama. In the past, gambling legislation has died in the House chamber. It takes a minimum of five days for a bill to make it through the Statehouse.

Also, changes to the state’s education system could be on the way. The bill banning “divisive concepts,” such as systemic racism, from being taught is heading to a Senate committee. And the bill to improve K-12 math scores is up for final passage in the House.

More is on the board, including the peanut possibly become the state legume, as legislators make their way back to the capital city.

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