By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – The Alabama Education Association is supporting a proposed law that would require local governments to support public schools with at least 20 mills of property tax. Under the measure, if a local government fails to reach the 20-mill threshold, it would risk losing state funds for K-through-12 public schools. However, 98 of Alabama's 128 school systems currently do not meet that level of funding. State Representative Randy Hinshaw says he's drafting legislation that would phase in the 20-mill standard over a three to five year period. State law only requires local governments to support schools with at least the equivalent amount of money produced by ten mills in property taxes.