Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley is giving an open-ended call for next week's special session. He says lawmakers can address any measure that would provide revenue to the state's ailing general fund budget.
The governor announced the items up for consideration in the special session. The governor wants a cigarette tax increase, the end of a state income tax deduction Alabama allows for FICA taxes paid and other budgetary changes.
Bentley says lawmakers may also consider "any other measures" to provide money to the general fund budget or boost state infrastructure
State agencies are without a budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Lawmakers have so far been unable to agree on how to handle a $200 million budget shortfall
The special session begins Tuesday.
Law enforcement is set to secure Alabama-Tennessee state line through Labor Day.
Alabama and Tennessee state patrol are teaming up for the Hands Across the Border effort.
Jeffery Rice is the captain of the north precinct at the Huntsville Police Department. He says the purpose of implementing the program is to promote safety.
“The purpose of Hands Across the Border is to work as a collective law enforcement unit to address drunk driving, drug driving, and seat belt usage and this is a collaborative effort with the Alabama state troopers, Tennessee highway patrol , Huntsville police department, and Madison County Sheriff department.”
The effort will run from through September 7th throughout the state of Alabama.
Those in the Research Park area of Huntsville will have more dining choices starting today.
The city of Huntsville has passed an ordinance that allows for food trucks to operate in Research Park from 10 AM to 2 PM Monday through Friday.
Andrew Judge is the owner of Sugar Belle Cupcake Truck. He says although the ordinance is a good start, there’s still more to be done for food trucks and the people in Research Park.
“There are still a couple of things we would love to see, kind of, move around to make it easier for people to access food trucks. That’s really the way it should have been. We are just trying to respond to what customers have asked us, to where they have wanted to see us set up, so they can see us and we can do business.”
Judge thinks the new policy might lead to future food truck events and maybe even a designated area for the trucks to operate.