Alabama Lawmakers Wrap Up 2023 Session

Alabama Senate on the final day of the 2023 legislative session, Tuesday, June 6, 2023 – WAKA 8

Tuesday marked the final day of the 2023 session of the Alabama Legislature.

This year, lawmakers had the luxury of surplus money. They passed an $8.8 billion education budget that includes a 2% pay raise for K-12 teachers and school employees. They also approved a $3 billion general fund budget.

Gov. Kay Ivey has already signed both budgets.

There was also money for a $150 rebate for taxpayers and a gradual cut of the state grocery tax from 4% to 2%

Channel 8 Political Analyst Steve Flowers says there was a lot of cooperation this year.

“It was a very productive session. However, it was easy to be productive with the kind of money they had to spend  — a record surplus in both the General Fund and the Education Trust Fund budgets. The biggest fight was how to spend the surplus. They were very conservative with it, however they did everything you can imagine. They gave teachers pay increases, they gave a $150 rebate check to people, they removed part of the sales tax on groceries. One of the things that has gone under the radar screen is Rep. Anthony Daniels from Huntsville’s bill to reduce being able to tax people for their overtime pay, which I thought was a very, very nice piece of legislation.”

Unless Gov. Ivey calls a special session, lawmakers won’t be back in session until next February.