By Mimi Penhale, Legislative Director

The 2019 Regular Legislative Session begins on March 5, 2019. The late start to session this year is due to this being the first year of a quadrennium. This session welcomes a large number of new legislators, who were elected to office in November of 2018. The Shelby Delegation members have all remained the same, with the exception of the addition of Sen. Dan Roberts, who is the new legislator for Senate District 15.

As always, the General Fund Budget and the Education budget will be a focus for the legislature. One of the big topics this session will be the Infrastructure package that both the Governor and House and Senate leadership are proposing. This legislation, if passed, will increase the current gas tax, with all revenue going towards infrastructure projects in the state.

Being the first year in this legislative cycle, we typically see a larger number of bills being filled. Often times, legislators will propose more controversial legislation that they are interested in seeing passed in the first two years of a quadrennium, as opposed to the later two years. This is a political norm that legislators do, to avoid riling up their constituency with controversial issues closer to re-election time. This is by no means a rule, it is just the typical atmosphere found in politics. For a breakdown of what kind of bills the Shelby Delegation has prefilled for this session and what committees they will be serving on, see below:

Rep. Jim Carns has no bills prefilled for this session. Rep. Carns is serving as the Chair of both the Commerce and Small Business Committee and the Jefferson County Delegation, as well as, serving on the Children and Senior Advocacy, the Shelby County Delegation, and Ways and Means General Fund Committees.

Rep. Dickie Drake has not filed any legislation prior to this session. Due to his experience and previous role as Vice Chair, Rep. Drake has been named the Chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. He is also serving on the Judiciary, Public Safety and Homeland Security, Jefferson County Legislation, as well as the Shelby County Legislation Committees.

Rep. Ellis has been named the Vice Chair of the Insurance Committee, and is entering his second term in office. In his first term, he was elected in a special election, due to his predecessor being named to leadership in a state agency. He will continue to serve on the Local Legislation and Shelby County Delegation Committees, as well as, Fiscal Responsibility and Ways and Means Education Committees.  

Rep. Allen Farley has pre-filed one bill this session. HB6 is a distracted driving legislation, that would make it illegal to use a mobile device while driving a vehicle. Rep. Farley is again serving as the Vice Chair of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, as well as serving as a member of the Ethics and Campaign Finance, Judiciary, Shelby County Delegation, and Jefferson County Delegation Committees.

Rep. Matt Fridy will be serving as the Chair of Constitution Campaigns and Elections this session, at this time he does not have any pre-filed legislation. Rep. Fridy will also be serving on the Health, Judiciary, and Shelby County Delegation Committees.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Rep. Arnold Mooney has two bills pre-filed for this session. The first, HB20, is related to the Advisory Board to the State Health Officer and it would authorize them the ability to meet electronically and establish rules and procedures for those meetings. His second bill, HB28, is the Alabama Private Investigation Regulatory Act, which would clarify qualification and licensing for Private Investigators. Rep. Mooney will serve on Constitution Campaigns and Elections, Ways and Means General Fund, and Health Committees, as well as, the Shelby County Delegation Committee.

Rep. April Weaver has two pre-filed bills this session. Her first, HB44, is regarding the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact. The second of her pre-filed bills is also in relation to nursing. HB45 addresses a loan repayment program for advanced-practice nurses. Rep. Weaver will continue to serve as the Chair of the House Health Committee, as well as the Chair of the Shelby County Delegation Committee. She will also serve as a member of the Internal Affairs and State Government Committees.

Sen. Jim McClendon, who serves as Chair of the Senate Health Committee, has filed four bills so far this session. This year, he has legislation that would prohibit the use of cell phones and other wireless devices while driving a vehicle, as well as, some legislation related to pretrial diversion programs for DUI offenders. Sen. McClendon’s SB3 is a bill that would make redistricting bills exempt from the requirement of having to be read at length prior to final passage. Redistricting bills could take upwards of a day to read, if read at length. The last bill he has pre-filed would increase access to Physical therapy by eliminating the requirement of having to have a physician refer an individual. Sen. McClendon will also be serving on the Rules, F&T General Fund, F&T Education, Education Policy, and Shelby County Legislation Committees.

Sen. Dan Roberts, the newest member to our Delegation was elected in November of 2018 to serve his first term as a legislator. Sen. Roberts will be serving as the Vice Chair of Transportation and Energy, as well as serving as a member of the Governmental Affairs, Banking and Insurance, Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development, Healthcare, Children and Youth Services, and the Jefferson and Shelby County Legislation Committees. 

Sen. Jabo Waggoner does not have any pre-filed bills at this time. Sen. Waggoner will again serve as the Rules Chair, as well as, the Vice Chair for Confirmations. He will also serve on the F&T General Fund, F&T Education, Banking and Insurance, and the Jefferson and Shelby County Legislation Committees. 

Sen. Cam Ward has pre-filed seven bills this session. Still serving at the Chair for the Senate Judiciary Committee means that most of his legislation focuses on the legal field. SB17, Lisa’s Law, would create compensation for victims of crimes. He is also carrying legislation that would waive court costs and docket fees for individuals with substantial hardships, as well as, carrying an amendment to the J.K. Elrod Act, which would make physicians and pharmacists exempt from the act, which currently classifies knowingly selling or distributing a controlled substance that causes the death as murder. His other legislation relates to weed abatement, municipal courts, and drivers license suspension. Sen. Ward is also the Chair of the Senate Shelby County Legislation Committee and he serves on the F&T General Fund, Confirmations, Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development, and Healthcare Committees.