Waggoner, Faulkner give annual legislative update for 2017

by

State Sen. Jabo Waggoner and Rep. David Faulkner came to the September Homewood Chamber of Commerce luncheon to provide their annual update on the work of the state legislature.

Waggoner and Faulkner also both announced their intentions to run for re-election in 2018, though Waggoner said this will be his final time to run for his District 16 seat. Faulkner was elected in 2014 to House District 46 and will be taking on his first campaign as an incumbent. Primaries will be held in June and the general election in November 2018.

In the 2017 legislative session, Waggoner said about 1,000 bills were introduced but only about 200 were passed. One he said he was particularly proud of was the reinstatement of the Historic Tax Credit, which he sponsored. When the tax credit was allowed to lapse by the legislature in 2016, Waggoner said experts studied the credit's effects across the state and found an average return of $3 for each $1 invested.

"It changed downtown Birmingham," Waggoner said of the tax credit.

Faulkner said his priorities in his first term have been public education, safety and jobs, issues that are "real close to home" for his constituents. Medicaid and healthcare in general are also areas of concern for Faulkner, as about a third of the state population is on Medicaid and the national legislature has not passed a new healthcare bill.

"The state's having a hard time filling that obligation," Faulkner said of Medicaid funding.

The legislators also discussed issues with the budget.

The total state budget is $11.87 billion, of which $6.42 billion goes into the Education Trust Fund and $1.85 billion goes into the general fund, which covers most statewide services. The Education Trust Fund is divided between K-12 services, receiving about 73 percent of funding, and higher education receiving about 27 percent. Since revenue that goes to the general fund is relatively flat, Faulkner said, the budget is feeling "the squeeze" from increases in spending for Medicaid and other issues like prison quality.

Medicaid takes up 15.4 percent of the fiscal year 2018 budget, and corrections takes up 4.2 percent.

Faulkner said Alabama prisons are "not in good shape" in terms of quality, overcrowding, mental health services and crime rates. He and Waggoner said the state will need to take action to address these problems, though they emphasized that neither wanted to be "soft" on prisoners.

"We're not talking about making it nice. We're talking about making it safe and humane," Faulkner said.

This year's budget included a budget increase for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to hire 33 new state troopers, a $20 million increase to Medicaid, an extra $13 million to statewide pre-K education, $1 million in fund increases for dual enrollment and workforce preparation and funds for 150 new teachers in grades 4-6.

Several other bills grabbed headlines during the session, Faulkner said:

  • The Alabama Memorial Preservation Act, which prohibits local governments from moving or tearing down monuments more than 40 years old.
  • The Fair Justice Act, which is intended to shorten the length of time for death row inmates' appeals process.
  • The "midwives bill," which opens the door to allow licensed midwives to practice in the state.

The next legislative session begins in January, and one priority that Faulkner and Waggoner mentioned included reviving a bill to regulate Uber and other transportation companies on a statewide basis, rather than having companies apply to operate within each municipality. Resolving problems within the state prison system will also be important, as Waggoner said the federal government will intervene if problems are not addressed.

Paying to improve roads, bridges and other infrastructure is also important, Faulkner said, though that would require an increase in gas tax funding, which has not changed since 1993.

The sponsor of the September luncheon was Homewood Life magazine. The next chamber luncheon is on Oct. 17.