Balanced budgets, Medicaid, lottery likely big issues for 2016 legislative session

Balanced budgets, Medicaid and a state lottery are likely big issues in the upcoming legislative session, lawmakers representing Shelby County said today.

A panel of 11 legislators representing Shelby County discussed what they believe will come up in the session that starts Feb. 2 during a luncheon hosted today by the Greater Shelby, Montevallo, South Shelby and Calera chambers of commerce. The luncheon was held at Jefferson State Community College’s Shelby-Hoover campus.

Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, opened with discussion of the state’s general fund and education budget.

“The education budget is about $5.8 million. It is in reasonably good shape,” Waggoner said. “Not what we want, not what we need, but we can pass an education budget.”

The general fund budget is more difficult, Waggoner said, because it includes funding Medicaid and the Department of Corrections. “With those two agencies alone, it takes over $1 billion of our $1.7 billion budget,” Waggoner said.

The longtime state senator said he expects more challenges in regard to balancing the general fund, noting little growth revenue or growth taxes.

“It’s another typical session with the general fund being our biggest challenge,” Waggoner said. “But just stay tuned, and I think at the end of the day we’ll pass a reasonably good education budget and hopefully a general fund budget we can live with.”

Rep. Jim Carns, R-Mountain Brook, said he expects the House to spend a lot of time on Medicaid during the upcoming legislative session. Alabama and other states are not prepared for the number of people on Medicaid, Carns said. “We cannot, as a legislative body, sit back and do nothing,” he said.

While some legislators on the panel supported cutting back Medicaid, Rep. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, said that was not the correct path to take. As a former nurse and chair of the House Health Committee, Weaver said she spent most of her life in health care and saw how Medicaid affects health care in general.

“I understand that Medicaid is health care infrastructure in the state,” Weaver said.

Getting rid of Medicaid would negatively affect the quality of care, she said. There are steps that have been taken to contain Medicaid costs and fund Regional Care Organizations (RCOs) in order to shift the risk of Medicaid patients from the state to the private sector, Weaver said.

“I think we need to look at this as a whole before saying, ‘Oh we’re not going to do that. It costs too much,’” she said.

Rep. Mike Hill, R-Columbiana, brought up something that will be on ballots in Shelby County in the next election — Sunday alcohol sales.

“This isn’t anything but an economic issue,” Hill said. “It’s not a drinking issue; it’s not going to step on those people going to church every Sunday.”

Approving Sunday alcohol sales will make Shelby County a more enticing area for new businesses, Hill said. Now, businesses in Shelby County have to compete with Jefferson County businesses, plus Shelby County businesses with club licenses., he said.

“That’s one of those issues, if we don’t support it, we’re going to lose a lot of business and future business in Shelby County,” Hill said.

State lottery

Another issue that could make its way to a vote is a state lottery. Sen. Jim McClendon, R-Springville, is sponsoring a bill to amend the state constitution in order to allow a lottery.

Three-fifths of the House and Senate would have to approve the bill, and then it would go on the ballot for a statewide vote. McClendon said many of his constituents said they would approve of a lottery, noting they do not want to have to drive to Georgia or Tennessee to purchase a lottery ticket.

“If there’s $350 million going into this thing, I would rather see that go into Alabama than go into Georgia,” he said.

Rep. Dickie Drake, R-Leeds, said while he does not agree with a state lottery, he will vote according to what his constituents support.

“I’m a deacon at a Southern Baptist Church, and I have a little heartburn over the lottery bill, but I’m not here to vote what I want,” Drake said. “I’m here to represent 45,000 people in my district, and if that’s what they want, that’s what I’ve got to vote for.”

An informal poll of luncheon attendees was completed by Sen. Slade Blackwell, R-Mountain Brook, and he said 63 of the 84 attendees said they were in favor of a lottery. Blackwell also asked attendees for their opinion on a gas tax, and 43 of 83 people who voted supported the gas tax to fund roads and infrastructure.

The panel also encouraged attendees and chamber members to reach out to their legislators before big votes take place. That way, legislators would be aware of public concerns and how the bills could affect individual businesses.

“It’s helpful to get a broad, diverse spectrum of views on the issues we’re taking on, said state Rep. Matt Fridy, R-Montevallo. “Get in touch with us and let us know how you feel about things that are coming up … That will inform our votes much, much better.”

Other legislators there today were: Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster; Rep. Allen Farley, R-McCalla; and state Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-north Shelby County.