Failure to repeal grocery tax a defeat for Alabama families

Opelika-Auburn News editorial

Rep. John Knight's bill that would eliminate the state's 4 percent sales tax on groceries not only was not digested by the Alabama House, but was spit out before the issue could ever come up for debate.

Read editorial here.

No defensing this vote: House GOP let Alabama down

Anniston Star editorial

A select group of Republican members of the state House of Representatives owes Alabamians an answer to this question:

What is wrong with asking those who make more than $100,000 a year to pay a little more in taxes so a majority of Alabamians can save some of their hard-earned cash at the grocery?

Read editorial here.

House panel backs grocery tax repeal

Crimson White article

While the prices of goods and services continue to rise, Alabama may see a decrease in the cost of groceries.

Alabama Arise, a lobbying group for the state's poor, and a lawmaker in Montgomery have proposed a bill that would prohibit the placing of sales tax on groceries statewide.

On March 31, the state House Education Appropriations Committee voted in favor of the proposed bill, which is sponsored by Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery.

Read article here.

Redistribution of fairness

Birmingham News editorial

When the Alabama House of Representatives debates a bill today that would remove the state sales tax on groceries, you can bet opponents utter these words, or some variation, more than once:

"The whole bill is a redistribution of wealth." (In fact, that's what state Rep. Mac Gipson, R-Prattville, said when the House Education Appropriations Committee voted last week to send the bill to the House.)

Bill sponsor Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery, prefers another term: "a redistribution of fairness." So do we.

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An epidemic in Alabama

Anniston Star editorial

For a moment, put aside the bitter nationwide debate over the health-care reform bill and consider Alabama's plight.

Alabamians need primary-care physicians -- good ol' everyday doctors -- who can treat their everyday illnesses, guide expectant mothers through pregnancies, and steer them through their basic yet critical health-care needs.

Problem is, the state faces a dramatic shortage of primary care doctors.

Read editorial here.

State House passes education budget

Crimson White article

For the past few months, state lawmakers in charge of setting and passing the education budget have warned educators that some 3,000 teachers may need to be let go because of the slowing economy.

However, a recession-year education budget designed to protect a majority of teacher jobs in Alabama took its first step Tuesday by being passed in the state House of Representatives by way of a 104-0 vote.

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State grocery tax unfair, regressive

Montgomery Advertiser editorial

There are only a few working days remaining in the current legislative session, but there is still time for lawmakers to remove the state's unfair and regressive sales tax on groceries.

Read editorial here.

Lawmakers won't let go of grocery tax

(Mobile) Press-Register editorial

You never know what will pop out of the mouth of one of our Alabama legislators.

During the debate in the House on the annual effort to remove the state's 4 percent sales tax on groceries, Rep. Mac Gipson, a Republican from Prattville, apparently got confused and thought he was dealing with some big tax-and-spend bill in Washington, D.C.

Read editorial here.

Food tax amendment moves to House

Gadsden Times article

Voters this year, finally, could get a constitutional amendment that would eliminate the state sales tax on food but increase state income taxes on about 80,000 wealthier taxpayers.

Read article here.