What the Alabama Legislature did right in 2021

Using last week’s column to address a few issues some in the district might consider a disappointment from the recent legislative session, I will use this space to share an overview of issues which should be viewed as stepping stones to improve the state’s future.
Possibly the most notable achievement is the fact Alabama will witness the benefits of the largest education budget in history. This will mark the third consecutive year the Legislature has approved such a record-setting budget. The money to be spent on education in our state beginning on Oct. 1 will total more than $7.6 billion, an increase of $452 million in comparison to the previous fiscal year.
One might wonder how an increase in education spending was possible in light of the coronavirus pandemic, which has hovered over our state and nation for more than a year now. Being in the midst of last year’s legislative session when this unexpected crisis struck, the Legislature budgeted conservatively for the current fiscal year not knowing how long the pandemic would last and what the financial fallout would be.