Birmingham, AL – Legislators from Alabama's most populous county have reached a compromise on a tax bill and are asking for a special session to end a partial shutdown of county services that threatens a National Guard callup.
Members of the Jefferson County legislative delegation, meeting in Birmingham on Tuesday, approved a bill to enact a new occupational tax for the area.
Rep. John Rogers said he's asking the governor to call a special session in Montgomery beginning Monday.
More than 1,000 Jefferson County employees have been out of work this week because courts barred the county from collecting a previous tax that provided about $75 million annually. The sheriff's office said it may ask for National Guard help after it was hit with a layoff order Tuesday.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)