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Conversation with Tuscaloosa County Rep. Bill Poole on Special Session

Alabama Lawmakers are back in Montgomery for Special Sessions to hammer out a general fund budget.  I spoke with Tuscaloosa County representative Bill Poole to get his thoughts about going back to the Capitol to help fill a $200 million shortfall in the State’s Coffers…

“I think it’s certainly possible. It’s a tight timeline.  We’re at the backend of what we’re allowed in terms of the time we can spend in the special session.  We’ll have to identify solutions quickly, get them through the legislative process which takes several days to go through all of the steps (like) committee meetings and votes in both chambers.  I think that’s a tall order unless we’re able to find a solution at the early part of next week.”

As the conversation continued, I asked Representative Poole on if the Legislature could have reached an agreement on a budget during the regular session that lasted 86 days…

“Everybody worked very hard to try to accomplish that.  Ultimately we were not able to find consensus in either chamber necessarily much less between the chambers in terms of possible solutions.  There’s lots of ideas that have been tossed out and a lot of options. I have said tongue-in-cheek part of the dilemma is we’re choosing often times between what is the least-worst option under these circumstances.  But a consensus was not reached during the regular session and we’ve got to find a consensus.  You’ve got to have the votes to pass solutions and that effort is still underway.”

Governor Robert Bentley wants to plug the holes in the general fund with a 25-cent-per-pack cigarette tax increase among many other proposals.  But Mr. Poole does not believe all of his idea will sit well with Lawmakers…

“The Governor’s presented a plan that he supports. I know the dynamics, the general parts of the plan.  But if you took the Governor’s plan and you set it before both chambers of the Legislature, that’s not what the Legislature is going to pass.  The Legislature is going to make modifications to his plan so I’ve been more engaged in terms of colleagues in the house and senate to work within a framework but also work on what can get the votes.  Where are the possibilities? There’s lots of discussions about solutions that don’t help us in (Fiscal Year) ’16.  But here in the now is FY’16 and that’s what we need to focus on.”

As the proposals go through the House and Senate, Poole says all options will be talked about…

“The Governor’s proposed a number of initiatives and some are in the alternative.  I’m not sure that there’s support in the Legislature for instance to eliminate the FICA deduction, to increase the soda tax.  Those kinds of things are in the call, but I’m not sure there’s legislative support for them. Consequently, we’ve got to determine what the needs are and what are the possible solutions to meet those needs and can consensus built around those solutions?”

Lawmakers will be in Montgomery for five days.  In that time it’s going to cost 400-thousand dollars for the special session… a bill the Alabama taxpayers are going to have to pick up…

“That’s an absolutely legitimate point and that’s why there needs and should be some urgency.  There’ve been a number of meetings throughout the summer, I’ve been in Montgomery multiple times for meetings.  There needs to be and I think there is urgency.  But these are also big decisions and they involve complex issues.  We’re constrained by federal law, federal regulations, and federal court orders in certain areas.  We’re constrained by the state constitution and statute.  Every possible solution impacts different parts of our population in different ways.  The legislative process requires that we need to get this right.  There’s urgency and the timing is critical but it’s also important that we get it right and we don’t rush. We need to be methodical and get it right.”

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