LEGISLATURE RETURNS TO MONTGOMERY
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On Tuesday, the Alabama Legislature convened its 2013 Regular Session. Members hit the ground running introducing over 400 bills in the first three days. The first bill to pass the House was a bill introduced by Rep. Jay Love (R-Montgomery) that sets up a repayment plan for the state to return money to the trust fund it borrowed to shore up the state general fund budget. Under the bill, the full $437 million will be repaid by 2026.
Other bills of priority to the House and Senate leadership included a number of the bills designed to "right-sizing" state government. Bills ranged from the privatization of the state's information technology systems to abolishing the Legislative Council and replacing it with a new legislative joint committee to review state agency rules and regulations. The HBAA is monitoring a number of those measures to ensure they do not negatively affect members who may be licensed by any of the state boards.
Each week during session, the HBAA will email Legislative Alerts to keep you informed on actions by the legislature that may affect you. If you have any questions concerning any legislation being considered by the Alabama Legislature, please feel free to contact Russell Davis (Russelldavis@hbaa.org) or Jason Reid (Jasonreid@hbaa.org).
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DURHAM AND SALIBA APPOINTED
TO ALABAMA HVACR BOARD
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HBAA members Larry Durham and Mark Saliba were recently appointed to the Alabama Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Board. Larry Durham, appointed by Lt. Governor Ivey, is owner of Durham Service Company in New Hope, AL and a member of the Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association. HBAA Past President Mark Saliba, appointed by Speaker of the House Hubbard, is Vice-President of Alfred Saliba Corp. and is a member of the HBA of the Dothan& the Wiregrass Area. Both appointments must be confirmed by the Senate before becoming effective. The HBAA expects the appointments to come before the Senate confirmations committee in the coming weeks.
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HBAA SAYS GOODBYE TO FORMER
SENATOR AND FRIEND
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Longtime friend and former Senator Hinton Mitchem (Albertville) passed away January 22 at the age of 74. First elected in 1979, Hinton was a staunch supporter of the home building industry. He was instrumental in every piece of HBAA backed legislation, including sponsoring the bill in 1980 that created the Alabama Housing Finance Authority. Hinton was inducted into the Alabama Building Industry Hall of Fame in 1997 in recognition of his commitment to housing. He retired from the Senate in 2010.
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ALABAMA'S BETTER LIVING EXPO TO FOCUS ON ENERGY CODE COMPLIANCE
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The 2013 Alabama's Better Living Expo (ABLE), Alabama's largest energy efficiency and sustainability trade show, is taking shape to be bigger and better than last year. One of the key components of this year's event is providing education on energy code compliance. Various sessions will focus on every aspect of compliance. Some sessions will involve instructors who will touch on the basics of code compliance and the legal obligations builders face. Others will place builders and subcontractors with real-world experience building to the code in interactive forums allowing for a free exchange of ideas.
HVAC contractors will get up to date information concerning the July 2013 duct blaster mandate and how they can comply. Attendees can take the Math Basics for Duct and Envelope Testing course (one of the many educational sessions at this year's ABLE) at no additional charge. This class is a prerequisite to being able to apply for the Duct and Envelope Testing Certification Course. ABLE is approved for CE credit by the Alabama HVACR Board.
Many of the courses at the conference are approved for AIA, NAHB, and other designations for CE credit. Register today and join us at ABLE!
To learn more about ABLE and register, go to able-expo-alabama.com. |
