The Alabama House of Representatives recently approved a General Fund budget for the next year that would see an increase in spending by about 10% over the current year, with the budget totaling $3.7 billion. The General Fund is the primary source of state funds for non-education agencies, including important services such as Medicaid, prisons, law enforcement, courts, public health, and mental health.
However, controversy arose when several line items were zeroed out in the budget, including funding for institutions like the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum, the Magic City Classic football game, and the Jazz Hall of Fame. Senator Rodger Smitherman objected to these cuts and vowed to use all tools at his disposal to get the funding restored.
Despite the House passing the budget without restoring the funding, House Ways and Means budget chairman Rex Reynolds promised to address the issue in the Senate, where they have a commitment to restore the funding. The Magic City Classic and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute are among the institutions affected by the cuts, with Senator Smitherman and Representative A.J. McCampbell advocating for the restoration of funding for these important projects.
McCampbell expressed concerns about the process, stating that lawmakers did not have adequate time to review the revised budget before the House vote. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute has urged people to contact their legislators to demand the funding be restored, emphasizing the importance of telling Alabama’s full history. The budget now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
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