The Alabama Senate on Thursday approved a record $3.3 billion 2025 General Fund budget and a current year supplemental spending plan of $214 million.
The 2025 budget, a more than $300 million increase over the current year, represents increases for almost all the non-education state agencies in it.
State employees will receive a 2% raise, as well. The bills now move to the House.
“There were no cuts here, we have the largest budget in history and everyone is getting at least (the same) or more than the current year,” budget committee chairman Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, told Alabama Daily News after the votes.
“And in this package, we’re going to be taking another huge step in getting our obligations to the prisons done,” he said.
Both the budget and supplemental bills were substituted on the Senate floor Thursday morning and Albritton was able to squeeze a bit more prison construction money from the General Fund than previously proposed.
The state committed in 2021 through legislation to building two 4,000-bed men’s prisons in Elmore and Escambia counties. Price increases at the Elmore County site, which is about 25% complete, have put that project’s estimated cost at more than $1 billion, leaving state leaders searching for more money for the Escambia site. That’s in Albritton’s district.
Between the two spending bills, there is about $400 million for prison construction.
“It’s a pretty good chunk” of what’s needed to move forward with construction in Escambia County, Albritton told Alabama Daily News.
Officials haven’t released a potential price tag on that prison, but it’s expected to be less the Elmore County site that will include specialized health facilities.
The General Fund now has $50 million for debt service for the prison construction bond approved to help fund two new prisons. Any of that money not needed for debt repayment in 2025 could be used elsewhere on the prison building plans.
There’s also $150 million for the Correctional Capital Improvement Fund, created in 2021 when lawmakers approved the new prison plan.
The two no votes were Sen. Sam Givhan, R-Huntsville, and April Weaver, R-Brierfield. Givhan declined to comment on his vote. Weaver could not be reached for comment.
Both budget bills were substituted on the Senate floor Thursday morning and senators were given newly drafted documents. At least one expressed frustration over the process.
“There is no transparency,” said Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre. He slowed discussions on the bills in protest. “No one has until this moment laid eyes on this.”
The supplemental bill includes:
- $150 million for new prison construction. That’s $50 million more than Gov. Kay Ivey suggested in February.
- $20 million for a parking deck near the new State House, expected to be completed in 20207.
- $15 for the State Industrial Development Authority for site development; less than the $25 million Ivey proposed.
- $5 million for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- $4 million to the Alabama Department of Mental Health, $1 million to be used to keep the psychiatric beds operational at Bullock County Hospital, $1.5 million for mental health services for the Lee County Commission and $1.5 million to be used for the East Alabama Medical Center for psychiatric and child services.
- $3 million for security and building upgrades at the Capitol.