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Senate approves multiple bills on special order and confirms several appointments
Summary
On the special order calendar the Alabama Senate placed and passed numerous bills (including HB 156, HB 277, HB 42, HB 214, HB 163, SB 261) and confirmed several gubernatorial/legislative appointments to higher-education and other boards during morning session.
The Alabama Senate used its special order calendar to take up a package of bills and confirmations, adopting committee reports, approving final passage on several measures and confirming nominees to state boards.
Confirmations: The confirmations committee reported favorable recommendations and the Senate approved multiple appointments by recorded and voice votes. Among the confirmations the Senate approved Nicholas J. Balden and Jennifer Wit to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, Ronnie Stalworth to the University of South Alabama Board of Trustees, Steve Smith to the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy, and Rex Reynolds to the Athens State University Board of Trustees. The clerk recorded confirmations with roll tallies (for example, Balden was recorded as confirmed 27–0).
Bills on the special order calendar: Sponsors or floor managers summarized measures and moved final passage using ‘‘previous roll’’ or long roll as required. Notable actions included:
- House Bill 156 (physician assistant compact): Sponsor said the bill aligns physician assistant licensure with interstate compacts; final passage was recorded on the floor and the clerk announced the vote and passage.
- House Bill 277 (seafood/aquaculture): The measure authorizes tasting events at licensed aquaculture facilities on the Gulf Coast; the Senate recorded final passage.
- House Bill 42 (motor vehicles/towed-vehicle retrieval): The sponsor described consumer-friendly changes, including allowing earlier vehicle recovery and earlier portal entry for tow companies; the bill passed on the floor.
- House Bill 214 (Fair Campaign Practices Act): The sponsor said the bill mirrors federal restrictions aimed at preventing foreign influence in campaign and ballot issue funding; the Senate took a long roll and the bill passed.
- House Bill 163 (Property Insurance and Energy Reduction Act): The sponsor described targeted changes to loan rules allowing financing for certain property improvements; final passage was recorded.
- Senate Bill 261 (child custody): The Senate passed the bill by recorded vote.
Clerks and floor managers recorded multiple committee reports in sequence and placed bills on the calendar for subsequent steps when required. Many measures passed with unanimous or near-unanimous tallies as announced from the floor.
The Senate also discussed a separate SSUT-related item in which senators said they would file a bill to change the population-counting interval used for distributions from once every 10 years to every five years; senators said cities, counties and school representatives had been part of negotiations. The body adjourned after the votes and housekeeping business.
