Alabama’s Ivey signs education and state general fund budgets

(The Center Square) – Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed the state’s budgets, including the general fund, Education Trust Fund (K-12 education) and their associated supplemental appropriations.

The new outlays, which are the largest in state history, go into effect on Oct. 1, the start of the state’s new fiscal year.

The education budget signed on Thursday will be nearly $8.8 billion or $535 million more than this year’s outlay, with the supplemental adding $2.8 billion from additional tax revenue above last year’s expectations. 

“I am proud to officially put my signature on yet another historic investment in our students, teachers and schools,” Ivey said in a news release. “Alabama is serious about changing the trajectory of student outcomes, and our steady progress in the classroom and this record-setting education budget prove that to be the Gospel Truth. We are expanding our award-winning pre-K program into some of our highest poverty areas. We are supporting the implementation of the critical Literacy and Numeracy Acts.

“We are, once again, increasing teacher pay, giving us even more of a competitive edge to recruit and retain the educators of today and tomorrow.”

The general fund outlay will be nearly $3 billion, 6% higher than this year. Its associated supplemental appropriation will be $208 million. These funds are for non-educational purposes, such as law enforcement, courts, prisons, mental health and other state agencies. 

The budget will provide $50 million for a proportional inflationary increase for state agencies and outlay $40 million to the state Department of Corrections to hire additional correctional officers.

“Alabama’s record-setting $3 billion General Fund is generational money which makes possible greater investments in vital public services while also significantly paying down debt to reduce the impact of future economic downturns,” Ivey said. “This landmark budget is historic for Alabama. It will positively affect many agency operations from State Troopers protecting our highways to mental health professionals.”