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Bentley releases gameplan for special session, Farmer's Conference

Governor Robert Bentley has released his tax and budget proposals ahead of next week's special session on a budget shortfall.

Bentley spokeswoman Jennifer Ardis says the state is at a critical point, and must either make cuts to state services or find new revenue.

The governor is seeking a 25-cent-per-pack cigarette tax increase. He is also seeking to raise the business privilege tax on larger businesses while giving smaller ones a tax cut.

Legislators return to Montgomery Monday to continue a special session. The state is facing a $200 million shortfall for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

The governor has also proposed to end the ability of taxpayers to claim a state income tax deduction for federal Social Security taxes paid.

Hundreds of Alabama farmers will gather in Montgomery this weekend for a three-day conference. APR’s Alex AuBuchon has more on what they’ll be up to.

The Alabama Farmers Federation’s 43rd annual Commodity Producers Conference is this weekend, and over 800 of the state’s farmers are registered to attend.

The cornerstone of the conference is a series of tours. Participants can choose from six different tour options highlighting area farms and agricultural sites in central Alabama, as well as historical locations like the George Washington Carver Museum and Alabama Archives.

The conference will also include a variety of seminars on topics ranging from cattle breeding and invasive species management to weather and climatology.

Other highlights of the conference will be a screening of the 2014 film Farmland and a concert from the FFA string band.

School starts this month for kids across Alabama. The Community Action Agency of South Alabama is hosting mass application events for its Head Start and Pre-K programs this week.

The events run from nine a.m. to 2 p.m. in Bay Minette and Daphne. Families are required to bring a series of documents that can be found on their website.

Elaine Lee is the interim Head Start director for community action agency of South Alabama. She says participation in Head Start programs are beneficial in the long run.

“Children that participate in Head Start program earn higher salaries over their lifetime. They have a lower incidence of incarceration, lower incidence of teen pregnancy and have a lower rate of the cycle of poverty.”

Lee says with Governor Bentley’s ruling they foresee more opportunities for children to participate.

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