MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives easily passed a nearly $11 billion Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget and supplemental appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 on Tuesday with little debate.
House Bill 147 Provided additional funding to various school systems, universities, and other organizations from the Education Trust Fund Advancement and Technology Fund.
Gov. Kay Ivey recommended an additional $700 million in legislation. The replacement amendment increased total appropriations to $1 billion. Of that amount, $274 million will go to higher education institutions and $726 million to Alabama educational institutions.
Nearly $192 million is donated to Alabama's four-year colleges.
Approximately $508 million of the funds will go to various agencies allocated by the Alabama Department of Education. $233,000 of that money will go to Magic City Acceptance Academy, a publicly funded charter school designed to foster an “LGBTQ-affirming learning environment.”
In March, Governor Kay Ivey approved law The law prohibits state agencies, schools, and colleges from sponsoring diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, training, orientation, or coursework that espouse or require consent to divisive concepts; Requiring students or employees to attend or participate is prohibited. The bill would also prohibit public bodies from “requiring the promotion, support, or affirmation of certain opposing notions of race, gender, or religion.”
1819 News asked Magic City Acceptance Academy whether the DEI ban would impact the school's funding. The school did not immediately respond.
House Bill 144 (HB144) Appropriates $651,202,906 from the Education Trust Fund for the fiscal year ending 2025 to various state departments, agencies, and institutions of higher education.
Some supplemental provisions depend on: recent laws to repeal a 2023 law that created a $30 million loan program for financially struggling universities after Birmingham-Southern University, a designated recipient, permanently closed its doors. It is the purpose.
State Rep. Laura Hall introduced an amendment that would allocate $30 million from the repealed Higher Education Institutions Act to the state's summer reading program. Garrett made a motion to hold the motion, which passed 73-28.
State Rep. AJ McCampbell (D-Demopolis) also introduced an amendment calling for one-time spending of $20 million for the Alabama Healthcare Science School proposed in his district. This amendment was passed unanimously.
If the project does not continue, funds will be reallocated elsewhere.
State Representative Napoleon Bracy initially lamented that funding for Alabama State University (ASU) was not increased while other four-year colleges received lump-sum increases. He introduced an amendment to give ASU $1 million in increased funding.
The bill passed by a vote of 103-0.
House Bill 145The ETF's total budget is $9.35 billion to support, preserve, and develop public education in Alabama. The ETF is up $550 million from last year, up from $8.8 billion in fiscal 2024.
The budget included spending that was expected to draw opposition from some conservative members of Congress, but none of it was implemented.
The budget included an increase in spending for the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) by more than $200,000.
ADAH found itself in hot water over the issue. Controversial 2023 LGBTQ History Luncheon, “Invisible No More: Alabama’s LGBTQ+ History” In response, lawmakers attempted to strip ADAH of $5 million in additional ETF spending during last year’s session.
This year, state Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) introduced several bills to change the makeup of ADAH. The bill is still awaiting a vote in the House of Representatives.
The ETF budget also includes a $370,000 increase in funding for the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS).
APLS is at the center of a statewide controversy over sexually explicit children's books. Residents have been petitioning the APLS board for nearly a year to implement policies to address the issue.
House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) and House Minority Leader Scott Stadhagen (R-Hartselle) sent a letter to the board saying it would use its “budget authority” to address the issue if APLS does not respond. He said he would deal with it and demanded action.
The budget passed 102-1, with newly elected state Rep. Marilyn Lands (D-Huntsville) the only “no” vote against the bill.
The budget also includes a 2% pay raise for nearly all public school employees and $11 million in funding for 200 additional assistant principals.
To contact the author of this story or comment, send an email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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