Montgomery, AL – Hanging in limbo as Alabama legislators head into the last day of the 2012 session is a bill aimed at keeping Alabama courts running in the midst of a financial crisis.
Court clerks from all over the state have been frequent visitors to the Statehouse in recent weeks to urge lawmakers to pass a bill that would raise court costs and a fee paid by bail bondsmen.
The House sponsor, Republican Rep. Mike Hill of Columbiana, said the bill would raise about $40 million for courts, which have been hurt by several years of budget cuts.
The bill is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate on Wednesday. That's the last day of the 2012 session.
Opponents say the fee hike unfairly targets low income Alabama residents.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)