Are Alabama residents engaged in the budget / tax increase / lottery gaming debate? One local talk show indicates that many of our State representatives and State senators say they are not getting much, if any, input from their constituents about the Governor’s proposed tax increase or about a state lottery or gaming. If this statement is true, shame on us Alabama!
Governor Bentley has been campaigning throughout the state for an increase in various taxes as a way to cover the shortfall in the Alabama budget. His plan calls for tax increases as follows:
- Increase state sales tax on automobile sales from 2% to 4%;
- Increase in state sales tax on cigarette and tobacco sales. Tax on a pack of cigarettes would increase by 82.5 cents per pack;
- Require combined income reporting for corporations that do business in other states, thereby increasing the amount of State income tax owed by these companies;
- Remove the credit that banks receive for sales taxes paid;
- Increase the income tax on insurance companies by removing several credits to currently apply to those companies;
- Eliminate income tax withholding exemption certificates
- Increase the rental tax on automobile rentals from 1.5% to 4%
Senator Del Marsh R-Anniston has proposed a state lottery and a gaming deal with the Poarch Bank of Creek Indians to increase their gaming in the State. The proposed bill would:
- Create a five member Alabama Lottery and Gaming Commission
- Earmark lotter revenue for the General Fund
- Levy a state gross receipts tax on gaming of 13% and a local tax of 1%
Last week, the Alabama House sent a budget bill to the Alabama Senate of $1.635 billion which is a decrease of $280 million as compared to the budget presented by Gov. Bentley. One north Alabama house representative was quoted on a local radio show as saying the House “kicked the can” to the Senate”. In other words, the House did not address any of the shortfalls in the current budget or any way to lessen them.
The State senate passed an Education Trust Fund budget (yes – Alabama is one of a handful of States that have two budgets) of $5.99 billion and sent it to the House of Representatives for review. Many believe that one option and solution to Alabama’s budget crisis is to consolidate these two budgets into one.
Regardless of your feelings for or against the Governor’s proposed tax increases, or a State lottery or an increase in State casinos and gaming or a combined budget, we need to let our representatives and senators know how we feel about these issues. This is a time to exercise your right and communicate with those you have elected to serve YOU !!
Alabama Senate
- Bill Holtzclaw bill.holtzclaw@alsenate.gov 334-242-7854
- Arthur Orr 334-242-7891
- Paul Sanford paul.sanford@alsenate.gov 334-242-7867
- Steve Livingston steve.livingston@alsenate.gov 334-242-7858
- Clay Scofield clay.scofield@alsenate.gov 334-242-7876
Alabama Representatives
- Phil Williams philhouse44@gmail.com 334-242-7704
- Mac McCutcheon c.mac.mccutcheon@gmail.com 334-242-7705
- Laura Hall laura.hall@alhouse.gov 334-242-7688
- Jim Patterson jimpattersonhd21@gmail.com 334-242-7531
- Anthony Daniels anthony.daniels@alhouse.gov 334-242-7600
- Howard Sanderford hs1989@aol.com 334-242-4368
- Mike Ball mikeball@knology.net 334-242-7683
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