Off The Record: The latest rumors and rumblings in Alabama
Ready-to-drink alcohol coming to stores?
Higher alcohol content, ready-to-drink (RTD) mixed beverages could be coming to a gas station near you. A bill in the state Legislature would allow the ready-to-drink beverages to be sold in grocery and convenience stores just like beer and wine, as opposed to liquor stores only. According to the bill, RTD spirits, commonly sold in cans and bottles, would have up to 7% alcohol by volume. In recent years, similar bills haven’t made it through but supporters in the Legislature think this could be the year.
Britt a GOP fundraising force
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt has already become a political fundraising power on the national stage for Senate Republicans. Over her first two years in office, she has hosted fundraising events for Senate colleagues and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for national Republican groups. We hear her next fundraiser is this month in North Alabama and will feature a slew of Senate colleagues.
An overtime divide in House leadership
The Alabama State House is showing signs of division over the effort to extend the overtime tax cut. House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagan was one of five co-sponsors of House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels’ effort to permanently extend the state’s overtime tax cut. Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter instead favored the package that reduces the state’s grocery tax by 1%. Some in Montgomery are wondering if Stadthagan’s support of the overtime tax cut will be remembered next leadership election.
Race for District 11 heats up
The special election for House District 11 is heating up. The Republican primary will see Heath Allbright and Don Fallin face off May 13. Gove. Kay Ivey set a special election after Rep. Randall Shedd resigned the seat to work as constituent services director in the Senate President Pro Tem office. While Allbright has received a slew of endorsements, including from House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter and the Business Council of Alabama, one Fallin supporter doesn’t seem too impressed telling OTR, “I don’t want Montgomery picking my candidate for me.” The winner of the primary will face Democratic candidate Alex Braswell on Aug. 26.
