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Rep. Jackson's beer bill passes Ala. House
The "Free the Hops" bill sponsored by Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, was approved March 4 on a 48-42 vote after a spirited debate. Under the current law, beer can't have alcohol content higher than 6 percent. The bill would allow the alcohol content to be as high as 13.9 percent. Jackson and other proponents argued that the bill would give Alabama residents a chance to buy imported beers from Korea, Germany and other countries that have opened industries in Alabama in recent years. Proponents say the specialty beers would be an aid to tourism too. Opponents charged that it would make it easier for young people to get drunk off the higher alcohol content beverages and warned there would be more alcohol- related deaths in automobile accidents. Jackson has introduced the bill previously without it ever getting as far as it has this year. Last year he was awarded the "shroud award" for the bill as being the "deadest" offered in the House. The bill now goes to the Senate. Double-dipping ban OK'd The U.S. Justice Department has pre-cleared the Alabama Postsecondary Education Department's new policy against double-dipping by legislators who are employed by two-year colleges. At least nine legislators, including Rep. Jackson, are affected by the new policy. Jackson is a longtime educator and is employed by Alabama Southern Community College on its Thomasville campus. The policy will prohibit legislators from holding jobs in the twoyear system, effective after the 2010 elections. Effective immediately, however, is a requirement that legislators who are on the payroll of a twoyear college must use leave time for the hours they spend performing legislative duties. Chancellor Bradley Byrne has ordered presidents at two-year colleges around the state to implement the requirement. Once leave time is used up, legislators will have to get permission from both college presidents and the chancellor to use unpaid leave time.
The rule applies to all two-year college employees who seek work outside of the system.
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