Montgomery, AL – Alabama legislators are heading to Montgomery to begin a special session aimed at resolving a budget crisis in the state's most populous county.
Lawmakers convene Monday night to consider bills that would help end a partial government shutdown that began last week in Jefferson County. About 1,000 county workers are on unpaid leave, and residents are waiting in line for hours to do things like renew their car tags.
Court rulings earlier this year blocked Jefferson County from spending money from an occupational tax that provides about one-fourth of its annual budget.
The county's legislative delegation has approved bills to replace the tax, and now the full Legislature must consider them.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)