Bentley Signs Bill Blocking Minimum Wage Hikes, Senate Approves Lean General Fund Budget

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2014/04/800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:600;s:4:"file";s:45:"2014/04/800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:45:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-336x252.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:45:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-771x578.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:578;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:45:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:45:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-768x576.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:576;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:43:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:45:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:45:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:45:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-415x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:415;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:45:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-353x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:353;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:45:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:45:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:45:"800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:159789;s:14:"optimized_size";i:114894;s:7:"percent";d:28.100000000000001;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:137781;s:14:"optimized_size";i:93172;s:7:"percent";d:32.380000000000003;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:81:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:9815;s:14:"optimized_size";i:9786;s:7:"percent";d:0.29999999999999999;}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:5:"large";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:79:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3994;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3835;s:7:"percent";d:3.98;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:81:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/800px-Alabama_State_House_Apr2009-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:8199;s:14:"optimized_size";i:8101;s:7:"percent";d:1.2;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1677548369 
1456482546

The fourth week of the Alabama legislative session ended with a bang. Governor Robert Bentley has signed a bill blocking local governments from setting their own minimum wage. The governor signed the bill yesterday afternoon just after the Alabama Senate approved the bill 23 to 10, largely along party lines. Republican legislators supported the bill to push back against the Birmingham City Council, which voted to raise their city’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.

Bill sponsor, Republican Representative David Faulkner of Mountain Brook, says the state needs a uniform wage floor. Senator Linda Coleman-Madison, a Democrat from Birmingham, says she is concerned about people trying to feed their families on current hourly wages.

For more on this story and the rest of the week’s action, we talk with Don Dailey. He’s host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television. Dailey told WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley about the lead-up to the bill’s passage, and the lean general fund budget approved by the Alabama Senate. If it wins final approval, it would means cuts in Medicaid services and ending a long-planned reform to managed care.

 

Pentagon puts Scouts ‘on notice’ over DEI and girl-centered policies

After threatening to sever ties with the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts, Defense Secretary Hegseth announced a 6-month reprieve

President Trump bans Anthropic from use in government systems

Trump called the AI lab a "RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY" in a social media post. The Pentagon also ordered all military contractors to stop doing business with Anthropic.

HUD proposes time limits and work requirements for rental aid

The rule would allow housing agencies and landlords to impose such requirements "to encourage self-sufficiency." Critics say most who can work already do, but their wages are low.

Paramount and Warner Bros’ deal is about merging studios, and a whole lot more

The nearly $111 billion marriage would unite Paramount and Warner film studios, streamers and television properties — including CNN — under the control of the wealthy Ellison family.

A new film follows Paul McCartney’s 2nd act after The Beatles’ breakup

While previous documentaries captured the frenzy of Beatlemania, Man on the Run focuses on McCartney in the years between the band's breakup and John Lennon's death.

An aspiring dancer. A wealthy benefactor. And ‘Dreams’ turned to nightmare

A new psychological drama from Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco centers on the torrid affair between a wealthy San Francisco philanthropist and an undocumented immigrant who aspires to be a dancer.

More Capitol Journal Coverage