SB 263 (Blackwell, Birmingham)

received a favorable report in the Banking and Insurance Committee on Wednesday. The bill reduces the right of redemption time on real estate from one year to 90 days. The exceptions are residential inventory lots, along with any builder new home inventory. Those properties remain under the one year redemption period.

The HBAA appreciates the committee's support, particularly that of Chairman and bill sponsor Slade Blackwell. A similar bill is expected to be amended in the House next week, effectively mirroring the action taken by the Senate committee on Wednesday.

passed the House on Tuesday night following a six-hour debate. The sweeping legislation takes Arizona's immigration laws to an even higher level and will certainly impact businesses across Alabama. The bill has now moved to the Senate.

The HBAA proposed a huge amendment dealing with subcontractors and their responsibilities of knowingly hiring illegal aliens. Rep. Mike Hill (Columbiana) sponsored the amendment and did a superb job of maneuvering it for passage.

As mentioned in previous Alerts, an immigration bill will pass the Legislature this session. The HBAA continues to work closely with other business groups and construction industry organizations to mitigate the negative effects that could result for small business owners.

The tort reform package introduced by the Alabama Civil Justice Reform Committee (ACJRC) received favorable reports in both the House and Senate on Wednesday. The HBAA is an executive committee member of the ACJRC and will continue to monitor this legislation.

After meeting for three days this week, the Legislature is now one-third of the way through the 2011 regular session. The Senate passed a $1.8 billion general fund budget, which cut more than 45% of some agencies' funding and zeroed out a host of community projects and historical sites.