The Alabama Senate passed a resolution this week establishing a 14-member task force to discuss budget reforms. The task force will consist of seven senators and seven members of the House of Representatives and will begin meeting no later than Sept. 30.
According to the resolution, the task force will study issues including, but not limited to:
- Implementing a biennial budget cycle
- Requiring state entities to undergo greater performance and program reviews
- Removing earmarks from funds to provide more flexibility and legislative oversight
- Reviewing existing state tax credits, deductions, and exemptions that result in a total of $4.5 billion in lost revenue for the state budgets
- Identifying areas to provide tax relief to Alabama families without significantly affecting state budgets
The LSCU advocacy team will be attending the task force meetings and will provide updates on a schedule when it becomes available. Read more on the task force at AL.Com.