The 2025 legislative session is set to begin Tuesday with Gov. Kay Ivey delivering her annual “State of the State” address outlining the state’s position and her priorities for the year.
After announcing last week that Alabama has improved its standing in national rankings for fourth grade reading and math, Ivey is expected to once again make education a major part of her speech.
That includes reinforcing her support for the CHOOSE Act that passed last year that will provide up to $7,000 per student for families who choose to put their children in private schools and up to $2,000 for homeschool students (limited to two per family).
Ivey will also call for continued support for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which has expanded its footprint in the state under Ivey; the Literacy and Numeracy Acts and her turnaround schools initiative.
The Legislature could also be considering a new school funding formula in this session that would target funding to the schools that need it most, but Ivey has not yet weighed in on whether she supports a formula change or what new formula she would support.
Ivey will also likely unveil a public safety package of bills prioritizing “backing the blue, combatting crime, and making smart on crime reforms.”
“We are working hard to prepare for another productive legislative session. A safe Alabama is a secure future for Alabama, and this year, we will take bold steps to protect our communities, strengthen our future and ensure our state remains the best place to live, work and raise a family,” Ivey said in a release. “I look forward to working with our Legislature to achieve these critical goals and create a better Alabama for all.”
There are already a number of notable bills listed to come up in two committee meetings on Wednesday, with more likely to be added in the next two days.
The House Judiciary Committee will discuss HB40 by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, to create a board to oversee Alabama’s Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. This is the third year England has brought the bill, but lawmakers across the aisle have recently begun to show their own frustration with the parole board. Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, grilled parole board chair Leigh Gwathney last year for failing to provide substantive responses to his questions.
England also has a bill on the agenda, HB58, that would attach a misdemeanor charge for a violation of the state’s “duty to inform” law. The law requires a citizen to inform a law enforcement officer if they have a firearm on their person or in their vehicle if asked by an officer. The law stems from the revocation of Alabama’s pistol permit requirement, but England has said the lack of a penalty makes the law useless as it stands.
HB2 by Rep. Chris Brown, R-Mobile, would require parental consent for minors to receive vaccines unless the minor is emancipated. That bill, too, is on the agenda for the House Judiciary Committee to discuss on Wednesday.
The committee meets at 1:30. p.m. on Wednesday in Room 617 at the Alabama Statehouse. The full agenda and the livestream can be found here.
The House State Government Committee is set to take up two bills Wednesday, including HB29 by Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Dadeville, that would require citizens receiving unemployment benefits to contact five employers each week. The current law requires three contacts each week. The bill also adds that missing a job interview or failing to accept an offer of “suitable work” will result in losing unemployment benefits.
Bills must be added to committee agendas at least 24 hours in advance, so more committees could release their agendas today and tomorrow. The House Judiciary and House State Government committees could also still add bills to their agendas.
Ivey will deliver her State of the State address Tuesday at 6 p.m.
