Sunday Discussion: Crazy Bills In The Alabama Legislature

By Nathan Young on March 4, 2013

At times I have to just laugh at some of the bills being proposed in the Alabama Legislature. I have already posted my thoughts on the School Flexibility Bill the legislature rammed through last week. Read it here: http://geekalabama.com/2013/02/28/alabama-passes-the-school-flexibility-bill/

Now I want to talk about some of the craziest bills being proposed by the Alabama Legislature. This will disturb some people!

HB 358: Anniston Eco-Tourism Beverage Bill

http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story/21825494/article-Alabama-Senate-OK-with-letting-local-people-decide-Sunday-alcohol-sales-question?instance=home_news

One big hurdle was completed last week; it passed the senate. But now this bill faces certain death. One local legislator; Rep. Steve Hurst is against this bill for moral reasons. Rep. Steve Hurst said he couldn’t bring himself to vote for this bill. Saying “my Bible tells me to keep the Sabbath day holy.” Hurst said he doesn’t have a problem with people having the right to drink, but he’s cautious of expanding drinking on Sunday.

Some legislators cares more about moral issues than improving a region’s economy which is sad. If this bill was passed by the legislature and passed by the Anniston citizens in a vote. It would allow businesses to sell alcohol on Sundays. And with Anniston becoming a eco-tourism and bicycling mecca. This is badly needed! Many cyclists are also beer drinkers and if Anniston wants to attract bikers, it needs to be allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays!

The best way to voice your opinion is to contact the Calhoun County legislators by calling them! The numbers are as follows:
Representative Barbara Boyd – 334-242-7692, Representative Steve Hurst – 334-353-9215, Representative Richard Lindsey – 334-242-7713, Representative Randy Wood – 334-242-7700, Representative K. L. Brown – 334-242-1778.

HB 181: Hazardous Waste Bill

http://weldbham.com/blog/2013/03/04/hazardous-waste-bill-goes-before-full-house-tomorrow/

Want Alabama to become the dumping ground for the nation’s hazardous waste? Then the legislature has to pass this bill. This bill is trying to increase the amount of hazardous waste coming into the state by reducing the state-based fee from $21.60 per ton to $11 per ton. This bill is mostly for the Emelle hazardous waste facility. But if the fees are reduced, what’s stopping other hazardous waste landfills from opening?

SB 25: Bussman Spay/ Neuter Bill

http://www.sandmountainreporter.com/columnists/guest/article_a1c7dc36-81b4-11e2-9258-0019bb2963f4.html

Alabama has a big problem with pet overpopulation. And a bill being proposed would harm the four low-cost spay and neuter clinics in Alabama. SB 25 would no longer require a veterinarian to own a spay/neuter clinic. The clinic could be owned by a 501(3)c non-profit with a veterinarian in charge of all medical care. But this bill is a disguise to the real proposals. A closer inspection of the bill reveals proposed regulations that would ultimately strangle spay/neuter clinics and force them to close.

SB25 is discriminatory. Increased data-reporting and inspections would place an undue burden on low-cost spay/neuter clinic veterinarians and staff. All veterinary practices should be subject to the same reporting and inspection standards. SB25 will force low-cost spay/neuter clinics to offer substandard care at a substandard facility by limiting types of equipment and medication. Also these clinics will only be allowed to operate as outpatient facilities. Not being allowed to shelter animals overnight will limit surgery to early in the day, since animals need time to recover from the anesthesia before being released.

SB25 will prohibit low-cost spay/neuter clinics from stocking vaccines, dewormer, or other prescription medications. SB 25 will limit pain medications to the day of surgery only. It is federal law that all pets receive a rabies vaccination. Since people who use a low-cost spay/neuter clinic are less likely to visit a regular veterinarian, shouldn’t these clinics actually be required to administer rabies vaccinations? SB 25 is a backdoor way from the Alabama Veterinary Medical Examiners Board to shut down the low-cost spay and neuter clinics and that means many animals will be abandoned and put to sleep in shelters. Unless people can shell out several hundred dollars at a vet. I talked about this before in a video I did; please watch!

Ammunition Sales Tax Bill

http://www.wsfa.com/story/21439224/ala-representative-proposes-bill-to-eliminate-ammunition-sales-tax

I think the legislators from Marshall County are some of the craziest in the bunch. Rep. Wes Long is proposing a bill to eliminate the sales tax on Ammunition. Long says “I think it will create an economic advantage for their hunters and gun owners to come across the border from Georgia and Florida and spend their money here because they’re probably going to buy other things,” said Long. “They’re going to buy guns or camouflage or camping supplies, whatever, you know, their interests are.” Really?

Look; I have no problem taking out the sales tax on ammo. But should Alabama eliminate the sales tax on food and groceries first? Is Alabama going to say that bullets are more important to people than food? I hope not!