The 21st Century Workforce Act passed the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee Wednesday and would provide $50 million in bonds for new equipment purchases for career tech programs. Sponsor of HB102, Rep. Mac Buttram, R-Cullman, said he hopes updating equipment will facilitate a smoother transition for students moving from school to the workforce.  

Rep. Mac Buttram, R-Cullman, speaks about his bill, HB102, before the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee Wednesday.

 
Funding will be distributed based on an application process. Schools also may use the funds to buy equipment for new career tech programs. However, the money cannot be used for construction of classrooms or shop buildings.   

Bills in the Legislature would transfer the state Farmers Market Authority (FMA) to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI). Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries John McMillan and FMA Director Don Wambles discussed the consolidation at a press conference Wednesday.

Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, and Rep. Chad Fincher, R-Semmes (above), are sponsoring legislation to consolidate the Alabama Farmers Market Authority.

Wambles said since 1999, the number of state farmers markets has grown from 17 to 140. In recent years, funding the FMA has been a struggle, he said.

"I saw the end of the road," Wambles said. "I could not allow our department and what we have worked for over the last 18 years to (dissolve), not for our farmers or for our communities across the state."

McMillan called it a logical move to improve government efficiency and save money.

"As I have traveled around the state, everybody thinks they are part of the department now," he said. "We know we can do a better job as one entity than we can as two."

Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, and Rep. Chad Fincher, R-Semmes, are sponsoring the legislation. SB247 is on the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee's agenda for Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in room 316 of the Statehouse. The House companion, HB342, is assigned to the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee.    

"The FMA has done excellent work educating the public and assisting farmers with marketing products," Higginbotham said. "When faced with our current state budget situation, there are many difficult decisions to make. By moving into the ADAI, the FMA is taking necessary steps to ensure farmers and consumers who rely on these markets continue to have an advocate in state government."    

The FMA serves to promote, advocate and educate farmers and consumers about opportunities with farmers markets. For more information, visit FMA.Alabama.gov.  

Bills to help cities and counties repair bridges and roads passed the Senate and House of Representatives this week.

SB192, sponsored by Sen. Paul Bussman, R-Cullman, passed the Senate Tuesday, 24-3, with one abstention. HB213, sponsored by Rep. Mac McCutcheon, R-Capshaw, passed the House of Representatives the same day, 94-0. Both bills await committee action in the second chamber. 

Bussman said the bill would help counties that have been unable to fund the 20-percent match required to participate in the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP). Since ATRIP's 2012 inception, 439 road and bridge projects totaling $613 million have been funded.

Twenty-two counties are expected to participate in the Rural Assistance Match Program (RAMP), which guarantees $5 million per county in state matching money and federal money for bridge and road improvements. Counties are required to make repairs to bridges used by school buses a priority.

The 22 counties asking to participate in RAMP are Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Crenshaw, Dale, Fayette, Geneva, Hale, Henry, Lawrence, Lowndes, Marengo, Marion, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Wilcox and Winston.  

SB192 is assigned to the House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee. HB213 is assigned to the Senate Commerce, Transportation and Utilities Committee.  

AFF supports and encourages members to contact their county commissioners and engineers to discuss projects to improve farm-to-market bridges and roads. 

Companion bills proposing improvements to the irrigation tax credit law were on this week's agendas in the House of Representatives and Senate. On Tuesday, the Senate voted 31-0 in favor of SB204, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur. The House adjourned Thursday before a vote could be taken on HB289, sponsored by Rep. Alan Boothe, R-Troy.     

Sam and Steve Dunn are installing irrigation equipment and building a pond on their Geneva County farm, which received almost two feet of rain in two weeks in February.

The bills would allow farmers five years to claim the $10,000 tax credit after installing new irrigation equipment or reservoirs. It would open up more land along rivers where farmers could use direct-withdrawal irrigation methods and qualify for the tax credit.  

Orr said the bills are the result of work by the Joint Legislative Water Policy and Management Committee.

"If we're able to increase (agriculture), we will greatly increase tax dollars for education and the state as a whole through an increased yield seen through irrigation," Orr said. "(It's) a tremendous return on investment for the agricultural community, which will help us create jobs and increase tax revenue." 

SB204 is on the agenda for Wednesday's House Ways and Means Education Committee meeting at 9 a.m. in room 617 of the Statehouse. The House is expected to take up HB289 next week.

AFF members are encouraged to contact their representative through the Legislative Action Center and ask for support on HB289 when it comes before the House of Representatives for a vote. 

For questions or comments regarding newsletter content, e-mail:

Brian Hardin - Asst. Director of Governmental and Agricultural Programs

or

David Cole - Director of Agricultural Legislation

For distribution questions or media inquiries, e-mail:

Mary Johnson - Director of News Services