Alabama senate passes largest budget in state history
Published 12:31 pm Friday, April 30, 2021
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Alabama Senate passed the largest General Fund Budget in the state’s history on Thursday. Chairman Greg Albritton (R-Atmore), Senators Greg Reed (R-Jasper) and Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) released the below statements on the passing of this $2,460,635,863 billion budget proposal.
Senator Albritton, Chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee, said that the legislature has worked aggressively this session to move a General Fund Budget out of the Senate and House in a timely manner to give Alabamians and state agencies this much-needed support.
“Coming on the heels of a global pandemic, this has been an unprecedented year as we have worked to put together a budget that meets the needs of Alabamians and provides our state with the resources needed to operate well on behalf of the people of Alabama,” Albritton said. “Given the increased urgency to consider and move budgets as we emerge from this pandemic, we have buckled our bootstraps and worked to swiftly move our budget out of the legislature and to the Governor’s desk. I am thankful to my colleagues in the Senate and House, particularly House General Fund Budget Chairman Steve Clouse, for the collaborate work we have enjoyed through this process.”
Albritton continued, “This is a good budget that will put our state on a strong path forward towards a better future. I look forward to seeing the benefits that these carefully, conservatively appropriated dollars will bring to the people of our state. I couldn’t be any prouder of how the budgeting process this session, which has resulted in the largest and most robust General Fund Budget in our state’s history, has been conducted.”
Senate Pro Tempore Greg Reed commended Senator Albritton on his diligent work on this budget, and congratulates him on the broad support it has received by the Senate body.
“While states around the country are having to cut budgets due to economic hardships resulting from this pandemic, Alabama has passed the largest General Fund Budget in state history. This is a direct result of the conservative budgeting approach that our state has taken over the past several years and the resilience of Alabamians and our economy,” Reed said. “I commend Senator Albritton on his diligent work on this budget, and congratulate him on the broad support it has received from the Senate body.”
“Lawmakers have worked tirelessly this session on both the General Fund and Education Trust Fund budgets, and I applaud our budget chairmen, Senators Albritton and Orr, for pushing these momentous budgets through the Senate,” said Scofield. “With the various challenges and hardships faced by the people of Alabama as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was high priority for the legislature to produce state budgets that supply the means necessary to continue moving our state forward and improving the quality of life for all Alabamians.”
This bill passed out of the House of Representatives March 9, 2021.
Spending Breakdown:
Executive: $2,047,956,916, a 3.2% increase from FY2021
Judicial: $176,094,674, a 2.7% increase from FY2021
Legislative: $37,353,749, an 18.4% increase from FY2021
Total Appropriations: $2,460,635,863, a .9% increase from FY2021