Alabama has a general fund budget.
Governor Robert Bentley signed the budget in to law today.
The governor says the spending plan was not perfect but was a step in the right direction.
Lawmakers passed a $1.7 billion operating budget yesterday after months of negotiations over a budget shortfall. Legislators approved a 25-cent-per pack cigarette tax and a transfer of education funds to minimize cuts to state services.
Bentley is praising lawmakers who voted for the cigarette tax. He says they put "people over politics."
Some Republicans were angered by the GOP's governor's push for tax increases.
The budget agreement came just two weeks ahead of the new fiscal year.
The spending plan provides level funding to some agencies, such as prisons and Medicaid, but cuts other agencies.
The dust is still settling after yesterday’s announcement that Mobile’s running Bayfest event is coming to an end. APR Student reporter Taylor Swinney reports ticket holders and local businesses are wondering what’s next…
Mobile hotel owners are working to handle hotel cancellations and make up for lost business following yesterday’s news about Bayfest Music Festival.
Event organizer Bobby Bostwick says the music festival ended due to financial concerns. The city of Mobile says ticket holders will be able to get refunds where they bought their seats.
Events related to Bayfest, like the FunRun and the Bayfest 5k will also be cancelled. The city is reportedly facing an uphill battle since they will still have to pay for musical groups that won’t be hitting the stage during the event.
Local businesses say only Mardi Gras and New Year’s Eve generated more money than Bayfest.
The Tuscaloosa V-A Medical Center is focusing on the problem of veteran homelessness.
The center hosted a conference today to address the negative stigma that the homeless often face.
Damon Stevenson is the Public Affairs Officer for the V-A. He says the conference focused on the message that everyone is maybe one or two steps away from being homeless themselves…
“The Good Samaritan’s Challenge Conference really combines several initiatives such as a Homeless Summit, a Community Homeless Assessment, local education, networking, group meeting, and landlord meeting into one event to basically deal with the issue of homelessness, not only amongst veterans, but also the community as a whole.”
The conference hosted current and potential landlords who could house veterans.