Video & Transcript : 'retiree support' :
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NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Investments and Pensions Oversight Jul 18th, 2025
Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Russell Goff, who represents the New Mexico Association of Educational Retirees; Ms.
- The number of retirees and beneficiaries also increased by nearly 1,000 members.
- So it created that safe harbor for those retirees who had returned to work without approval.
- So we have a number of retirees in the program, and that'll be a part of the next slide.
- As retirees, we're always getting individuals at their high point.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- I want to keep supporting oil and gas.
- It supports the teachers and also supports the students, and that’s why we’re asking for this.
- that is, that supports that.
- The retirees would also get participation credits, so the retirees would also come over to OGB.
- He added that for retirees, once a retiree becomes Medicare-eligible at age 65, they are forced into
Summary:
The House Appropriations Committee met on April 27 and first took up House Bill 175 and its companion House Bill 165, both dealing with lottery proceeds for veterans. HB 175 was amended to create a Veterans Service Grant Board within the Department of Veterans Affairs and direct $500,000 annually from Louisiana Lottery net proceeds into a Veterans Service Grant Fund, with unused money returned to the lottery proceeds fund that supports the MFP. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, The Boot Louisiana, LDVA Secretary Charlton McGinley, and Bastion Veterans Organization, argued the grants would help veteran services, workforce placement, mental health, housing, entrepreneurship, and retention of veterans in Louisiana. Members raised concerns about drawing from lottery proceeds that traditionally support education, but the committee adopted amendments and reported HB 175 favorably as amended. HB 165, the constitutional amendment companion, was also amended for technical and ballot-language changes and then reported favorably as amended for voter consideration.
The committee then considered House Bill 457, which would authorize the Louisiana Department of Health and the State Fire Marshal to set minimum housing standards for homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes. The sponsor said the bill responded to a state auditor recommendation and to unsafe conditions in some facilities; he also explained an amendment changing the Fire Marshal’s duties from mandatory to permissive to reduce fiscal impact and allow agencies flexibility. Some members questioned whether local standards already existed and how enforcement and funding would work, while others supported the need for statewide minimum standards for human housing. The committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 457 favorably as amended.
House Bill 488, by Representative Brough, sought to create a Belle Chasse Bridge Merit-Based Special Fund using recurring severance tax revenues from Plaquemines Parish to help buy out the Belle Chasse toll bridge and end what the sponsor described as excessive tolls and fees. He and several local witnesses, including business owners, a YMCA representative, and a parish council member, testified that the tolling arrangement had harmed access, businesses, and quality of life. The committee adopted a technical amendment clarifying the revenue source and then reported HB 488 favorably as amended. House Bill 566, which would prohibit state funds from supporting net-zero greenhouse gas initiatives tied to the 2022 Louisiana Climate Action Plan, drew significant debate over whether it would interfere with agency funding and economic development efforts; the sponsor argued the plan lacked legislative approval and should be repudiated, while members urged caution and suggested hearing from affected agencies. The sponsor agreed to consider deferring the bill, and the committee did not advance it at that time. House Bill 603, a constitutional amendment authorizing investment of state funds in digital assets and precious metals, was discussed as a way to hedge inflation and preserve value; members asked about limits and safeguards, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then began hearing House Bill 763, a transparency measure creating a public database for settlement agreements involving state agencies.
AL
Alabama 2026 Regular Session
Alabama House Children and Senior Advocacy Committee Feb 4th, 2026
Children and Senior Advocacy
Transcript Highlights:
- addressed in the final order of the court, such as division of holidays, communication, and child support
- the determination that the supporting the determination that the presumptions<00:10:35.680><c> were<
- of holidays, communication,<00:10:43.920><c> and</c><00:10:44.240><c> child</c><00:10:44.480><c> support
- </c><00:10:45.120><c> This</c> communication, and child support.
- This communication, and child support.
Keywords:
Ebony Alert, missing youth, public safety, law enforcement, racial equity, HB170, supplemental appropriations, Education Trust Fund, Alabama education budget, school funding, K-12 education, local boards of education, textbook adoption, school buses, school safety, charter schools, summer programs, afterschool programs, reading intervention, college and career readiness
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Chamber Meeting Feb 2nd, 2026 at 11:02 am
New Mexico House Floor Meeting
Keywords:
HB34, school nurse, school nurses, nurse licensure, licensure, charter school, charter schools, school district, public education, Department of Health, Public Education Department, registered nurse, RN, mentorship, evaluation, competency, teacher salary parity, minimum salary, level one license, level two license
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Chamber Meeting Jan 30th, 2026 at 12:05 pm
New Mexico House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- 223 projects, supporting energy reliance... financial awards supporting 223 projects supporting energy
- Speaker and gentlelady, plus the employment that supports families, that supports the local businesses
- I support this amendment, and one of the reasons I support the amendment is...
- And, gentlelady, I support this amendment, and one of the reasons I support the amendment is because
- I'm afraid I cannot support your bill tonight.
Keywords:
nurses, health care workers, healthcare workers, frontline workers, hospital staff, clinicians, allied health professionals, support staff, public health, workforce shortage, nursing shortage, safe staffing, patient safety, rural health care, frontier communities, behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder, substance abuse, health care memorial
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- I would respectfully request your support for this bill and am happy to answer questions. discovery in
- for this bill and happy to support for this bill and happy to answer<00:24:29.760><c> questions.
- approve of this and and you have my I approve of this and and you have my total<00:32:32.640><c> support
- ><c> thank</c><00:32:34.080><c> you</c><00:32:34.240><c> again</c><00:32:34.559><c> for</c> total support
- and I thank you again for total support and I thank you again for bringing<00:32:35.200><c> it.
Bills:
HB63, HB19, HB80, HB41, HB20, HB60, HB100, HB71, HB91, HB93, HB63, HB19, HB80, HB41, HB20, HB60, HB100, HB71, HB91, HB93
Keywords:
paternity, child custody, joint custody, parental rights, family law, domestic violence, shared parenting, Ebony Alert, missing youth, public safety, law enforcement, racial equity, human trafficking, victim restitution, civil action, criminal prosecution, labor servitude, sexual servitude, class A felony, class B felony
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- If I didn't support this bill after you, I'd... ...definitely would have supported this bill.
- I'm here in support of Malik's Law.
- Data to support midwifery, safe or not.
- I support what you guys are doing. I support the whole concept of midwifery.
- The doctors who went to medical school support this bill, the anesthesiologists support this bill.
Bills:
HB3772, HB1656, HB4504, HB1896, HB4420, HB4421, HB4076, HB3708, HB2806, HB3540, HB1586, HB5459, HB4553, HB4535, HB3811, HB3749, HB4255, HB4051, HB5098, HB3554, HB4539, HB5274
Keywords:
e-cigarettes, health and safety, regulations, directory, penalties, regulation, certification, compliance, manufacturers, FDA, nicotine, mental health, emergency detention, paramedic authority, mental illness, healthcare facility, public health, covenants not to compete, health care practitioners, physicians
TX
Bills:
HB3772, HB1656, HB4504, HB1896, HB4420, HB4421, HB4076, HB3708, HB2806, HB3540, HB1586, HB5459, HB4553, HB4535, HB3811, HB3749, HB4255, HB4051, HB5098, HB3554, HB4539, HB5274
Keywords:
e-cigarettes, health and safety, regulations, directory, penalties, regulation, certification, compliance, manufacturers, FDA, nicotine, mental health, emergency detention, paramedic authority, mental illness, healthcare facility, public health, covenants not to compete, health care practitioners, physicians
WA
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you for your longstanding support of retirees. Thank you.
- We urge your support. Thank you.
- I urge your support for HB 2523.
- I urge your support for HB 2523.
- We strongly support SB 6355.
Keywords:
collective bargaining, retirement benefits, employee rights, public sector, supplemental benefits, public employers, employee information, bargaining representatives, labor relations, union representation, electric transmission, energy policies, infrastructure, regulatory framework, transmission systems, aviation, wildland fires, funding, disaster relief, emergency response
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Appropriations Jan 12th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- The $1.5 million investment supports 50 schools and nearly 19,000 students with timely, targeted supports
- , not proposing any cuts to retirees.
- , not proposing any cuts to retirees.
- Unfortunately, for many retirees, no cuts is still a loss. Retirees.
- for PERS 1 and TERS 1 retirees.
Summary:
The House Appropriations Committee opened with committee guidelines for the 2026 session, including limits on testimony, amendment deadlines, confidentiality expectations, and professionalism rules. Chair Ormsby also reviewed housekeeping for the public hearing, noting the meeting was recorded and live streamed, and that testimony would be limited to one minute because of the large number of sign-ups. The committee then began its work session on Governor Ferguson’s proposed 2026 supplemental operating budget, presented by OFM Director Katie Chapman, who outlined the state’s fiscal pressures: higher caseloads in major programs, a revenue forecast decline of about $390 million, federal policy changes tied to H.R. 1, inflation, and a relatively small ending fund balance. She said the governor’s budget solves about a $2.3 billion shortfall through nearly $800 million in spending reductions, revenue shifts, fund transfers, use of about $1 billion from the Budget Stabilization Account, and some tax preference changes, while also making targeted investments in areas such as child welfare, behavioral health, wildfire response, housing, and IT modernization. Chapman also explained that the proposal does not fully balance over the four-year outlook under the state’s statutory assumptions, but said the governor relied on the budget-balance law’s exception tied to BSA use and low employment growth. A question from Rep. Connors about credit ratings was answered with the view that the impact is difficult to predict and that Washington’s strong pension funding and balanced-budget framework remain positives.
The public hearing drew testimony from state officials and many advocates, most of whom opposed specific cuts or fund shifts in the governor’s proposal. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs objected to proposed sweeps from the corporations and charities fund and the library archives account, citing prior cuts, layoffs, cyberattack-related costs, and the need to upgrade aging systems. Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove urged restoration of wildfire prevention funding, saying the proposed amount was still $30 million short of the commitment in House Bill 1168 and that underfunding would increase suppression costs and risk to communities. Many education witnesses opposed reductions to Working Connections Child Care, transition to kindergarten, local effort assistance, Running Start, and higher education across-the-board cuts, arguing they would harm access, equity, and workforce development. Higher education leaders from community colleges, the University of Washington, Western Washington University, and Evergreen State College described staffing cuts, program reductions, and pressure on student services, while K-12 groups and OSPI said the budget would deepen existing funding gaps.
A large portion of testimony focused on human services, health, housing, and civil legal aid. Child welfare and youth-serving organizations supported some targeted investments but opposed cuts to child care, child welfare network administration, and youth programs; advocates for foster youth, homeless youth, and mentoring programs asked for continued or increased funding. Health care and long-term care providers warned that proposed Medicaid and rate changes would reduce access for seniors, people with disabilities, and safety-net patients, while Planned Parenthood and abortion access advocates urged full restoration of the Abortion Access Project and related reimbursements. Housing and legal aid witnesses backed the governor’s proposed right-to-counsel funding but asked for more support, and homelessness advocates sought contingency funding for federal housing programs. Crime victim and domestic violence service providers repeatedly said the proposed $12 million was far short of the roughly $21.38 million needed to avoid service cuts and closures. Other testimony addressed the Climate Commitment Account shift for the Working Families Tax Credit, with environmental advocates opposing the diversion of CCA dollars and workforce advocates supporting the governor’s economic security and employment programs. No votes or formal committee action were taken during the hearing portion described in the transcript.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Public Pension Oversight Board (6-1-26)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:27:46.080><c> to</c> these goals, it allows uh retirees to these goals, it allows uh retirees
- It grandfathered those retirees who are already enrolled in it, and we currently have 52 retirees who
- and for all of our retirees.
- and for all of our retirees.
- [Clears throat] Um, when the member retires for our retirees and for all of our retirees.
Keywords:
Meeting Start: 00:00:09
Attendance Roll Call: 00:01:42
Approval of Minutes: 00:03:23
Overview of Actuarial Audit Process: 00:03:47
Overview of Reemployment After Retirement Provisions: 00:25:26
Teachers’ Retirement System: 00:25:26
Kentucky Public Pensions Authority: 00:50:32
Adjournment: 01:02:55, 958, all
Summary:
The meeting began with quorum, approval of the prior minutes, and an announcement that the June meeting had been canceled and replaced by this combined May/June meeting; the next official PPOB meeting was announced for July 21 at 2:30. Staff then gave an overview of the Public Pension Oversight Board’s required actuarial audit process, explaining that House Bill 238 requires a review every five years of the retirement systems’ actuarial assumptions and methods, funded by the systems themselves. The presentation distinguished this audit from a financial or forensic audit, described the three possible audit levels (full replication, limited/spot review, or basic review), and noted that the last audit in 2021 was a level one performed by Milleman Consulting at a cost of about $190,000. Members discussed timing for the next audit cycle, with a request to LRC likely needed in July or August to target the June 30, 2026 valuation, and several members expressed interest in another level one review. Questions also addressed whether prior audits found major issues; staff said the 2021 review was generally clean but recommended more consistency in reporting and assumptions across systems.
The committee then welcomed new staff and interns, including Odet Guanzi of KPPPA and Team Kentucky intern Amamira Bowman. Bo Barnes of the Teachers Retirement System presented an overview of the statutory framework for reemployment after retirement under KRS 161.605. He explained that the law is intended to let retirees return to help with staffing needs, do so in an actuarially sound way through required contributions, and keep TRS compliant with federal tax rules for a qualified plan under section 401(a). Barnes described the required breaks in service and earnings limits for retirees returning part-time or full-time, including the three-month or 12-month break depending on the employer, the 6,900-day limit, and the daily wage threshold based on years of service. He also noted a lightly used critical shortage program that allows school districts to hire retirees without a wage cap, while still observing the break-in-service rules.
Members asked questions about who decides the scope and level of the actuarial audit, how the audit would treat leave balances and other benefit-related items, and whether the prior level one audit identified substantial problems. Staff said the committee would request the audit, but LRC would handle contracting, and that the audit scope could include items like sick leave and annual leave costs if requested. On the reemployment topic, Barnes emphasized that the rules are designed to avoid pre-arranged retire-and-return arrangements that could jeopardize TRS’s tax-qualified status. No formal votes were taken beyond approving the minutes, and the meeting concluded with the presentations and discussion of these pension oversight issues.
AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee Mar 5th, 2025
Finance and Taxation Education
Transcript Highlights:
- You have, in red, the four retiree COLAs in the 2000s that at... ...uh retiree COLAs in the 2000s that
- retirees would be even more.
- retiree bonuses, and those are funded as y'all do them.
- ... ...million out of the healthcare retiree trust fund.
- The state picks up a bigger part of the tab for those retirees.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government. (2-4-26)
State & Local Government
Transcript Highlights:
- of Senate Bill 132. >> of Chiefs of Police in support of Senate Bill 132.
- Thank you for support Senate Bill 3132.
- Um and we do support uh the this bill.
- And I speak on this as a state retiree and also the parent of a special needs child.
- And as a retiree, if importance of that.
HI
Bills:
SB3123, HB1853, HB1961, HB1965, HB1962, HB1959, HB2505, HB2576, HB1801, HB1804, HB1864, HB2319, HB2314, HB2115, HB1854, HB2062, HB1511, HB1535, HB2614, HB2282, HB1870, HB1695, HB1626, HB1643, HB1972, HB1550, HB1974, HB1966, HB1973, HB2545, HB1946, HB1939, HB1721, HB1741, HB1700
Keywords:
conditional gifts, private education, scholarships, donor conditions, Hawaii education law, HB1853, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, cognitive impairment, memory care, memory clinic, Hanai Memory Network, Executive Office on Aging, aging services, kupuna, caregiver support, long-term care, elder care, geriatrics, public health
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> support his position. support his position.
- </c><00:16:07.480><c> continuing</c> uplifting and supporting continuing uplifting and supporting continuing
- Both jurors testified in support of Mr.
- </c> support of governor's message 725. support of governor's message 725.
- Gluck's appointment to support of Mr.
Bills:
SB3123, HB1853, HB1961, HB1965, HB1962, HB1959, HB2505, HB2576, HB1801, HB1804, HB1864, HB2319, HB2314, HB2115, HB1854, HB2062, HB1511, HB1535, HB2614, HB2282, HB1870, HB1695, HB1626, HB1643, HB1972, HB1550, HB1974, HB1966, HB1973, HB2545, HB1946, HB1939, HB1721, HB1741, HB1700
Keywords:
conditional gifts, private education, scholarships, donor conditions, Hawaii education law, HB1853, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, cognitive impairment, memory care, memory clinic, Hanai Memory Network, Executive Office on Aging, aging services, kupuna, caregiver support, long-term care, elder care, geriatrics, public health
DE
Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Revenue - Finance Committee Meeting Jun 17th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- It supports workforce retention in industries that are vital to Delaware's economy.
- And let's take a look at kind of average retirees. So I did three scenarios.
- And so you see that Pennsylvania actually still has a little bit of a difference for a retiree to make
- Eighty percent of military retirees are enlisted, and they're practical, hands-on skilled workers in
- And the retiree piece, we are already a very large state to retire to.
Summary:
The House Revenue and Finance Committee met to consider House Substitute 1 for House Bill 386, which would create a temporary Delaware income tax deduction for qualified tip income from tax years 2027 through 2029. The sponsor described it as relief for service workers in restaurants, salons, and similar tipped occupations, with a deduction of up to $15,000, income-based phaseouts, a refundable credit for lower-income workers, and a sunset for later review. Committee members raised questions about the resident/non-resident language, the fiscal note, and whether the Department of Finance could implement the change; Finance said the department could administer it and expected only modest administrative costs, while the Comptroller’s office said the bill would reduce general revenue. After a brief recess to review updated language, the committee took public comment, but no one testified. A motion to release the bill failed to receive enough votes, and the chair said she would walk it to seek additional signatures.
The committee then considered Senate Bill 219, which would phase in an increase in the military pension income exemption from $12,500 to $25,000 by tax year 2029. The sponsor argued the measure would help attract and retain military retirees, citing economic return estimates, workforce benefits, and support from all 21 Senate co-sponsors. Some members supported the bill as a way to reward service and bring in long-term residents, while others questioned whether the exemption should be income-based rather than available to all military retirees, including those with substantial second careers. The Department of Finance said it could operationalize the bill and that the non-resident language was unnecessary because the subtraction is already picked up in the non-resident code section. Public testimony from veterans’ organizations strongly supported the bill, emphasizing that the exemption can influence retirement decisions and help veterans and their families stay in Delaware. A motion to release the bill also failed to get enough votes, and the chair said she would walk it for signatures before adjourning the meeting.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
MS Senate Floor - 9 February, 2026; 2:00 PM
Mississippi Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> uh of the state retirees system. uh of the state retirees system.
- </c> have is we have a lot of young retirees. have is we have a lot of young retirees.
- </c> it is going to make all of our retirees it is going to make all of our retirees a<01:26:20.719><
- </c> lower that to 18 for child support? lower that to 18 for child support?
- If you support it and this chamber decides to support it, it would just be three days.
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> language regarding the retiree bonus. language regarding the retiree bonus.
- Also, the substitute includes now the uh bonus for retirees.
- Uh, but you had to at least have 10 years to be a true retiree.
- </c> a a true retiree. a a true retiree.
- ><c> Miss</c> retirees, the education retirees, Miss retirees, the education retirees, Miss Wendy<01:
Summary:
The Alabama Senate convened with prayer and the pledge, confirmed a quorum, excused absent senators, and adopted the previous day’s journal. The chamber then received House messages referring House Bill 614 on supplemental appropriations and House Bill 224 on the distribution and use of tax funds to the Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee. Committee reports followed on several bills, including favorable reports for House Bills 169, 542, 593, and 13, with HB 542 amended in committee. The Senate also referred Senator Orr’s proposed rules change to the Rules Committee.
A series of resolutions were taken up and adopted, including Senate Resolution 109 creating the Alabama Boating Safety Task Force, Senate Joint Resolutions 102 and 103, House Joint Resolutions 237, 215, 216, 218, and 235, Senate Joint Resolution 88 supporting the U.S. Department of Energy’s nuclear life cycle innovation effort, Senate Joint Resolution 93 creating a rural EMS and volunteer fire department study commission, Senate Joint Resolution 94 commending Exchange Club of Tuscaloosa Officer of the Year honorees, and Senate Joint Resolution 110 commending William Riley Hawkins Jr. on his retirement from AARP Alabama. The Senate also recognized several guests in the gallery, including local school superintendents and a student visitor.
The chamber then moved through local legislation, adopting BRs and passing numerous local bills and constitutional amendments, including measures for Mobile, Prichard, Class 2 municipalities, Mingo County, Talladega County, Perry County, Wilcox County, Clay County, Washington County, and Madison County. Senate Bill 376 on Mobile County and Senate Bill 379 on Madison County were both passed and transmitted. Most local bills passed on unanimous or near-unanimous votes using the previous roll.
The Senate also adopted Special Order Calendar Resolution 111, setting a special order calendar for the 27th legislative day that prioritized a long list of appropriations, education, retirement, dam safety, and higher education bills. On that calendar, House Bills 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 565, and Senate Bill 380 were taken up. HB 235’s committee substitute was tabled, a floor substitute was adopted restoring funding to the McQuain Center and removing some arts grants, and the bill passed. HB 236 passed after a language amendment. HB 237 passed as the Education Opportunities Reserve Fund bill. HB 238 passed after a floor substitute that shifted arts grants, added Voices for Alabama’s Children, adjusted RAISE Act weights, and increased funding for poverty, special education, and gifted students, along with a small amendment. HB 239 passed as the public education employee pay raise bill, with a substitute adding a retiree bonus and members discussing that the bonus would also be carried through SB 380. HB 240, HB 241, HB 242, and HB 565 all passed. SB 380 on the teachers retirement system received committee amendments and was being advanced as the vehicle for the retiree bonus, with Senator Orr explaining the bonus would be about $33 million and based on $1 per month of service for eligible retirees with at least 10 years of service.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Select Committee on Pension Policy May 19th, 2026 at 10:00 am
Select Committee on Pension Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Chenal, member of the Legislative Committee of the Washington State School Retirees Association, and
- At this time, I do not support any changes to the current Left 1 pension board structure.
- My name is Fred Yancey, and I'm speaking today on behalf of the 69,000 PERS and PERS Plan 1 retirees.
- I'm speaking in comparison to the Left 1 retirees.
- My colleague from the 29th district is now part of the retiree groups there.
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- I want to say thank you to everyone that supports me on this repeal bill this year.
- We know the political pressure that could come to bear and retirees... it's a long discussion.
- We know the political pressure that could come to bear and retirees... it's a long discussion.
- </c> retirees. So, it's a a double whammy. retirees. So, it's a a double whammy.
- and you we just it's a long retirees and you we just it's a long discussion.<00:37:31.359><c> So</c>
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum, approved excusing absent members, dispensed with the previous day’s journal, and allowed bill introductions and committee reports throughout the day. Members also recognized guests in the gallery, including Judge Smitherman and later Karen Butler, wife of Senator Tom Butler. The chamber adopted Senate Joint Resolution 11, honoring Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated on its Founders Day and 118 years of service, after reading the resolution at length and hearing brief remarks from Senator Figures.
The Senate then adopted the Rules Committee’s special order calendar and took up several bills. Senate Bill 12 by Senator Gudger, repealing a prior community development districts law tied to a Coleman County project, passed. Senate Bill 19 by Senator Livingston, dealing with health insurance/prostate cancer screening, also passed. Senate Bill 89 by Senator Sessions, repealing the 1931 State Pilotage Commission statute, passed; Senate Bill 134 by Senator Beasley, concerning taxation and interstate warehousing of tobacco products, passed after a committee amendment was adopted; Senate Bill 100 by Senator Kelly, extending the State Board of Pharmacy sunset for one year with appointment changes, passed; Senate Bill 114 by Senator Bell, expanding Alabama’s handling of out-of-state warrants to additional felonies, passed; Senate Bill 122 by Senator Stewart, regarding the State Board of Registration for Foresters, passed; Senate Bill 35 by Senator Kitchens, updating vessel registration language for Coast Guard compliance, passed; and Senate Bill 127 by Senators Coleman-Madison and Stewart, continuing the Board of Examiners in Counseling for four years, passed.
Senate Bill 28 by Senator Elliott, which would raise the earnings cap for retired law enforcement officers and district attorneys returning to work and address school bus driver staffing, was discussed at length but carried over at the sponsor’s request. Senators raised concerns about the bill’s impact on RSA/retirement system funding and the possibility of broader pressure for similar retiree reemployment arrangements, while supporters emphasized staffing shortages, training savings, and benefits for schools and public safety. The session concluded with the calendar completed and a new resolution introduced by Senator Orr recognizing the 250th anniversary of the United States Postal Service, which was taken up for immediate consideration and adopted.