Alabama governor's education plan draws controversy
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Alabama governor's education plan draws controversy
By Ben Wieder, Stateline Staff Writer
Weeks before Alabama’s legislative session is scheduled to begin, Governor Robert Bentley has sparked debate among legislators about a proposal to use money earmarked for education to fill other holes in the budget.
The Republican governor, entering his second year in office, plans to ask the legislature to approve a constitutional amendment to combine the state’s Education Trust Fund, drawn from income and sales taxes, with the separate General Fund, which pays for other government services.
“Governor Bentley believes that a unified budget is the long-term solution,” says his spokeswoman Jennifer Ardis. “He has promised to do everything he can to avoid raising taxes.”
She says Bentley hasn’t drawn up a specific proposal yet, but wanted to begin discussing the issue as early as possible because he knows it will be a tough sell. The amendment would first have to be approved by legislators and would then go on the ballot for voter approval.
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