That Time of the Week

It is getting that time of the week when everyone in the legislature is ready to get back home. After a very long Tuesday and Wednesday we all are about at the end of our ropes by Thursday. Special Order calendars for Thursday have in many years past caused us to work and then break for lunch, before coming back and working again in the afternoon. So far this year we have finished the special order calendar in the House before lunch so we were able to head back to our districts right around noon. This has led to some almost comical votes in my opinion because it means having a bill at the bottom of the special order calendar is no longer the kiss of death. On the contrary when you get to that last bill on Thursday this session you find that so many people are ready to hit the road and not get held over until after lunch that the final bill on the calendar is breezing through. This can lead to some good bills that would otherwise be difficult, pass easily but it can also lead to a rushed judgment on a bill that might really need some more consideration.

Here is the special order calendar for today. Alcohol is in on the third straight calendar in a row which is actually quite rare.

Representative Collier:

HB68

Eluding a law enforcement officer, crime established, penalties, Officer Keith E. Houts Act, Sec. 32-5A-193 repealed

Representative Martin:

HB175

Alcoholic beverages, municipal option elections authorized in municipalities having population of 500 or more, Secs. 28-2A-1, 28-2A-3 am’d.; Sec. 28-2A-4 repealed

Senator Mitchell:

SB71

Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House Representatives authorized to appoint individual to serve on his or her behalf on various boards, commissions, committees, councils, and similar entities

Senator Barron:

SB197

State funds, State Treasurer to apportion time deposits, open account, priority to state chartered banks, consideration of other economic factors, Secs. 41-14-31, 41-14-33 am’d.

Representative Hilliard:

HB199

School safety, plans and protocols, local boards of education to adopt, principals required to instruct students regarding various school safety matters and employ certain procedures

Representative Canfield:

HB514

Schools in unincorporated areas of county, county commission authorized to establish reduced speed school zones on roads and highways, signs required, Transportation Department to provide signs on state highways, fines doubled, County and Municipal Reduced Speed School Zone Act

Representative Boothe:

HB459

Troy State University System, name changed to Troy University, State Superintendent of Education removed from board of trustees, geographic areas represented on the board reduced with appointment of additional at-large member, staggering deleted, references to presidents deleted, Secs. 16-56-1, 16-56-2, 16-56-3, 16-56-4, 16-56-6, 16-56-7, 16-56-10, 16-56-12 am’d.

Representative Shiver:

HB419

Veterans’ nursing homes, residents, residential maintenance fees, payment directly to service provided, Sec. 31-5A-10 am’d.

Representative Irons:

HB559

Juvenile court, commitments, petitions to Mental Health and Mental Retardation Department, placement in facilities outside department, Secs. 12-15-405, 12-15-409, 12-15-410 am’d.; Act 2008-277, 2008 Reg. Sess. am’d.

Representative McClendon:

HB152

Eye care providers including optometrists and ophthalmologists, health insurance policies or plans, prohibited from requiring provider to participate in other policies or plans or purchase other supplies, Access to Eye Care Act, Sec. 27-56-4 am’d.

Representative Fields:

HB595

Municipalities, may not impose certain fees and charges regarding granting of consent to public utilities to use public streets and places, Sec. 11-49-1 am’d.

Representative Johnson:

HB484

Controlled substances, prescribing by physician assistants, registration certificate required, regulated by State Board of Medical Examiners, Secs. 20-2-60 to 20-2-69, inclusive, added; Secs. 20-2-214, 20-2-217 am’d.

Representative Vance:

HB201

Stolen or missing instruments, person acquiring may enforce, Sec. 7-3-309 am’d.

Representative Collier:

HB555

Shrimp, saltwater bait shrimp license, regulation of shrimping areas for bait and the number of shrimp baskets licensee may have in his or her possession, Sec. 9-12-54.4 am’d.

Representative Coleman:

HB207

Domestic violence fatality review teams established, membership, duties, confidentiality of certain information, immunity from civil and criminal liability, testimony in civil, criminal, or disciplinary proceedings regarding records or information produced or presented to review team prohibited

Representative Johnson:

HB566

Health care facilities, definition to include hospice services in requirement for certificate of need, State Health Planning and Development Agency moratorium on new hospices removed, Secs. 22-4-2, 22-21-29, 22-21-260 am’d.

Representative Martin:

HB436

Definition of Moral Turpitude Act, established, crimes which disqualify citizens from voting provided, Sec. 17-3-30.1 added

Representative Hilliard:

HB631

Conservation and Natural Resources Department, cooperative agreements with other states, commissioner authorized to enter agreements with federal government and other states regarding suspension, revocation, and reinstatement of hunting, fishing, and other licenses, Secs. 9-2-2, 9-2-7 am’d.