Hurricane Sales Tax Measure Dies in Alabama; Sponsors Pledge to ‘Try Again Next Year’

Although an effort was mounted during Alabama Legislature meetings in Montgomery to grant a sales tax break on necessary supplies to prepare for a hurricane, the measure was not passed, but its sponsor Rep. Spencer Collier, R-Irvington, promises to try again next year during regular sessions.

“I’ll come back. I still want to get something worked out,” Collier told the Mobile Register, citing the rising number of storm threats southwest Alabama citizens face.

Collier acknowledged a potentially difficult path for the legislation, however, because any sales tax break means the Education Trust Fund would sacrifice revenue. That could pit Collier against one of Alabama’s most powerful lobbying forces: The Alabama Education Association. The state’s largest public employees union, AEA typically speaks out against any bill that could mean lost revenue–actual or potential–for the ETF.

Collier’s proposal would have exempted a number of hurricane-related purchases–things like batteries, tarps, weather radios and generators–from state and local sales and use taxes from June 1 to July 1, the first month of hurricane season.

Collier told the Register he has not discussed the issue directly with AEA chief Paul Hubbert. But, Collier said, “The speaker and the chairman told me they just couldn’t bring the bill up this session,” referring to House Speaker Seth Hammett, D-Andalusia, and House education budget Chairman Richard Lindsey, D-Centre.

The Legislature reconvenes today for the fifth meeting day of the special session, called primarily to write a fiscal 2006 General Fund budget. Because it was not part of Gov. Bob Riley’s agenda for the session, Collier’s proposal would have required a two-thirds vote to be brought up for discussion.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane Training Development Alabama