Gov. Robert Bentley says lawmakers need to "step up and be leaders" as they begin a special session on the general fund budget.
The special session begins this afternoon. Bentley is asking lawmakers to approve $310 million in revenue to level fund state agencies to avoid deep cuts in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
The governor's proposals include a cigarette tax, adjustment to the business privilege tax and possibly a soda tax. The governor, speaking to a Montgomery civic club, said his goal is to fundamentally change how the state budgets.
Bentley is trying to head off discussion of gambling proposals and has said gambling is not the solution.
Lawmakers convened at 4 p.m. They plan to recess until Aug. 3.
If you’re an Alabama voter and you need a photo ID, Shelby County was the place to go today. The Secretary of State’s office teamed up with the city of Chelsea to offer free photo identification cards.
Clay Helms is the supervisor of voter registration for the Secretary of State’s office. He says that any Alabama resident that was in need of a free voter photo ID could have stopped by, not just those who live in Shelby County.
“As long as you are a qualified registered voter, it doesn’t matter what county you’re applying for the ID in. As long your voter information is correct, and you are in need of the ID, you can get the ID in whatever country that you are in at the moment.”
A lawsuit in Shelby County led to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that critics say gutted the U.S. voting rights act.
NASA’s “New Horizons” spacecraft is on final approach to Pluto.
The seven hundred million dollar probe will make its closest pass to Pluto tomorrow. But, that’s not what’s getting the United States Postal Service excited.
The grand piano sized robot is carrying a 1991 postage stamp with the slogan-- Pluto, not yet explored.
Bill Gicker** is in charge of designing new stamps for the postal service. He says no one has been asking for an updated Pluto stamp, but that could change…
“It’s pretty exciting news that for the first time, we’re going to get our best views of this now planetoid. But, writing in in support of that is the best way to get a stamp done.”
The New Horizons space probe is managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center as part of NASA’s new frontiers program.