The Legislative session adjourned on June 6, 2023. This was my first Legislative session as your state Senator. It was an honor to serve. I worked hard and learned a lot. I took part in the passage of some important legislation.
First, it was an honor to vote for the biggest tax cut in Alabama history. The Dinner Table Tax Cut sliced our state grocery tax in half. This was a $300 million dollar annual tax cut, and all Alabama citizens will benefit from it. I co-sponsored this bill with my colleague and friend Andrew Jones. It was great to play a part in this historic legislation.
I sponsored or co-sponsored twenty-four other bills during the legislative session. Many of them passed and contributed to some of the following changes:
Tax cuts: for groceries, for seniors 65 and older, military families, payroll tax on overtime pay
Reducing administrative burden and costs for small business owners by increasing sales tax reporting threshold
Increase for nearly all state agencies in the general fund
Saving money as the economy worsens
Creating a strategy for keeping Alabama competitive with other states on economic recruitment
Expanding school choice for special needs children through the Alabama Accountability Act which also raised the cap for scholarships for other school choice in underperforming schools
I also introduced Senate Bill 114 to the Alabama Senate which was later signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey. This bill will resolve the problems the Veterans' Post in Sylacauga has had since the Alabama National Guard vacated the Armory on W. Fort Williams St in 2017. This bill will allow Veterans to continue to use the building until they can raise money for some modifications that are needed for the local code. This has been a big problem for them for many years and will give the veterans some reprieve and the fire department some legal cover. The bill extended the time in which non-profit veterans' organizations must comply with state and local building codes.
