Birmingham Post-Herald from Birmingham, Alabama • 17

Saturday April 13 1991 i kI i I INirtPS SATURDAY Birmingham Poet-Herald sisKsas Weekend Meport i prove iff Legislators go toe-to-toe With budgets By Ted Bryant MrBnldhpgrtK The Alabama Legislature convenes Tuesday for the first session of what could become the most climactic four-year term in recent history As usual the main business of the 1991 session win he adopting and balancing education and General Fund budgets for the fiscal year that starts Oct 1 Handling the budgets will be more than routine however because the current fiscal education budget had to be cut across the board and an about ISO million tax revenue source for the General Fund has been ruled unconstitutional Summary The main business facing the Alabama Legislature when it convenes Tuesday wil be the budgets as usual But the 1991 session promises a lot more as the lawmakers tackle everything from tax and education reform to dog racing If you want to know more about your legislator the Birmingham Post-Herald offers this Kst of brief resumes on each member of the Jefferson County delegation in the Alabama House complete with phone numbers and addresses to cal or write if you have complaints or concerns To reach a House member while the Legislature is in session the number is 242-7600 Some legislative leaders believe new taxes will be necessary to draft balanced budgets without cutting services Gov Guy Hunt however has said he will not propose increased taxes in this session Underlying the budget discussions are several major issues some the legislators must address this year others they will have to face before their terms end In 1994 Heading the list of issues: Hunt has pledged to present a package of education reform bills that he claims will make schools the best in the nation But Hunt said he will not propose raising new revenue for education declaring schools should not have more until they make other improvements At the same time the state faces a lawsuit that has changed the concept of education funding in other states Some two dozen school systems filed the suit to seek qual to that of wealthier systems such as Mountain Brook Homewood and Vestavia Hills The courts already have declared a hazardous waste tax last year and backed by the Hunt administration to be unconstitutional The courts gave the Legislature a chance to change the tax In this session If the lawmakers fail to act the money-hungry General Fund will suffer a loss of about 30 million a year A commission created by the Legislature last year with the backing of the Business Council and opposition from Hunt has recommended substantive reformation of the tax structure The recommendations would lower rates of the important taxes including sales property and income levies but would broaden the tax base The commission whose chairman is former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice CC Torbert is preparing legislation to implement its recommendations but the Mils may not be ready until late in the Members offAlabama House BHhdate Sept 21 1940 Job president of Modem Sales Inc House District 46 southeastern Jefterson County Mountain Brook Vestavia HiflsCahaba Heights and a smal portion of Irondaleand Leeds Party affitetion Repubican House committee assignment Rules Insurance highway Safety Education graduated from University of Alabama Memberships and activities Alabama Economic Development Advisory Board Briarwood Presbyterian Church work 870-1340 home 967-3571 Address 3380 Spring Vafley Court Birmingham Ala 35223 Tim BrittonPoat-Herald jt t'" -v v' -tv- '( 'i- Johnny Curry Birthdato May 6 1956 Job marketing representative with South Central Befl House District 50-parts of Adamsvfle Hueytownand a smal portion DeMMiap oi puwmiiui Party -MMiM IMMfflOfl Republican Education graduated from Hueytown High School I House committee assignment Ways and Means Constitution and Elections Highway Safety KluMliWMlilaiA ay RMfnoevMips no acuvnie chairman of Jefferson County Repubican Executive Committee Vafley Creek Baptist Church Numbers work 321-8366 home 497-0689 Address 3264 Ftekfale Drive Hueytown Ala 35023 EB McClain BHhdate April 29 1940 Job chief chemist Koppers Co House District 57 Brighton Fairfield Lipscomb and Mdfiekl Party affiliation Democrat House V-' -V-1-' Jack Biddle III 1 Birthdato Feb 7 1930 Job assistant CEO for Drummond Co real estate broker House District 43 Gardendale Fidtondate Tarrant and parts of north central Jefferson County Party affiHatkxi Republican House committee assignment State Administration Health Mitary Affairs Education graduated from Samford University Memberships and activities chairman of Health Committee Gardendale Mount Vernon United Methodist Church Numbers work 945-6551 home 631-4591 Address 2256 Pfnehurst Drive Gardendale Ala 35071 Mark Gaines BHhdate -Nov 17 1955 Job attorney House District 55 parts of southern Jefferson County Including Homewood Bluff Park and Oxmoor Vafley Party affiliation Repubican House David Barnes Ml BHhdate Dec 12 1943 Job attorney Barnes Dunning District 58-parts of eastern Birmingham Party aJfeiuiU- anuenon Democrat House OOfiulNIlM assignment Judiciary GamMngand Entertainment Agriculture Forestry and National Resources Education graduated with law degree from Texas Southern University Mombcnhipi sntl activities senior trial attorney for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Southern Baptist work 252-9036 home 838-2113 Address 9717 Zion City Road Birmingham Ala 35217 Sundra Escott-Russell BHhdate Feb 21 1954 Job national sales director for PrinAmerica marketing firm House District 80-west Birmingham including Adpco-FIntey and Enstey Party affiliation Democrat commute assignment Banking Local Government Smal Business Education graduated from Alabama State University with a degree in business education Memberships and activities National Order of WOmen Legislators Metropolitan Democratic Women Israel Independent Methodist Church Number work 791-0575 Address 1500 Hibernian St Birmingham Ate 35214 Following last year's census the Legislature must reapportion itself and seven congressional districts to assure the man one doctrine is not violated Each lawmaker must represent approximately the same number of constituents as his or her colleagues State Highway Director Perry Hand is imposing a long-range highway construction program and financing it with new taxes that would raise the price of gasoline more than 10 cents per gallon State Rep Jim Campbell D-Anniston said balancing the budgets will be a time-consuming effort As speaker pro tem of the House and a close ally of Speaker Jimmy ark D-Eufaula Campbell is influential in deciding which issues come before the Legislature One problem he said is that more money will be needed we don't try to have a revenue package then going to have to do some hacking and cutting Then well have rending of clothing tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth" Campbell said counterpart in the Senate Ryan deGraffenried D-ruscaloosa agreed think got to address the proration issue It's having an absolutely devastating effect on your local boards of education around the state They just deGraffenried said Sea Jim Preuitt D-Talladega chairman of the Senate Rules Committee also said the Legislature must look at increased taxes but said income and ad valorem taxes should be considered ahead of the sales tax which already has a combined state-local rate of I percent in most areas Pkase tan to LEGISLATURE page C3 I John Hawkins Jr BHhdate Sept 27 1926 Job retired Alabama Power House District 48-Hoover Vestavia Hills Shades Mountain and surrounding areas Party Repubican House committee assignment vice chairman Banking Ways and Means Education to be appointed on Joint Highway Committee for 6th Congrresional District Education attended University of Alabama and Marion Mitary Institute Mevnoerenipe end ecnvtuee Navy veteran Alabama Jaycees Vestavia HiB-Hoover Ktaanis Club Southminister Presbyterian Church Number home 823-0708 Address 1841 Montclair Drive Birmingham Ate 35216 vice chairman Tourism Entertainment and Sports Ways and Means Health Education graduated from MlesColeae Memberships and activities Mars rat Baptist Church Brighton Brighton PTA Brighton Voter's League chairman of the 6th Congressional District Alabama Democratic Conference Numbers work 744-5653 home 426-0663 Address 3826 Troy Terrace Brighton Ate 35020 Please ton to BOUSE page C3 essjgnmem JudWary Business and Labor Banking Education graduated from Auburn University with a degree hi political science graduated from Birmingham School of Law Memberships and sctlwiiies Birmingham and Alabama bar associations Covenant Presbyterian Church work 9300000 home 945-2905 Address 329 Stenett Ave Homewood Ala 35209 1-.