By State Representative Danny Garrett
Commentary
MONTGOMERY —
With three weeks in the books, the 2020 legislative session is moving right along!
This past week, the Alabama House of Representatives passed the Education Workforce Investment Act, legislation that would be the first step in our effort to address the teacher shortage in the state. The legislation would apply to all public education employees and create a new “Tier 3” retirement option that would improve the retirement benefits offered to Alabama education employees who have been hired since 2013. The move is part of our broader efforts to attract and retain more teachers by increasing their compensation and professional development. The bill would tweak provisions that were adopted in 2013 and offer all current Tier 2 participants the option of participating in a new the Tier 3 plan. The tiers have different contribution rates, formulas and service requirements to collect benefits. Read the full story here.
Also this week, the Joint Task Force on the 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Task Force delivered its report to the Senate and the House. For the past year, Senator Dan Roberts and I have served as co-chairs of a bipartisan group that has been studying how Federal tax law changes in 2018 increased some state taxes. Our Task Force made a number of recommendations for the Legislature to consider including tax reductions, measures to address Alabama’s regressive tax structure and provisions to improve the competitive position of businesses located in Alabama. Other members of the Task Force were Senators Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and Vivian Figures (D-Mobile); and Representatives Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn) and Rod Scott (D-Birmingham). The issues addressed in the Task Force Report are complex, but we believe our recommendations would be good for corporate and individual taxpayers and would improve economic development opportunities in Alabama. You can read the full report or this helpful summary.
A little closer to home, I have received several calls and texts lately about the uptick in road construction and repairs occurring in our district. Hopefully, we will see the work continue to pick up over the next several months. There are several local projects that I’m working on to ensure that they continue to make their way up the waiting list. I’m glad to report that the road issues on Lyle’s Lane and Argo Parkway were fixed this week. Repaving the areas around the onramp was overdue and it’s going to make driving in that area much safer. I appreciate Mayor Betty Bradley of Argo for her persistence on this project and for the kind letter that she sent.
It is an honor to serve House District 44. Please feel free to contact me at dannygarrett44@gmail.com or call me at 205-410-4637 if there is anything you wish to discuss.