Alabama Accountability Act – Update

UPDATE: Changes were made to the AAA in June 2015. Here is a link to the update.

The Alabama Accountability Act, previously known as the Local Control School Flexibility Act, will not be signed by Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, due to a court order restraining the Governor from receiving the bill. Here’s a quick FAQ on the Alabama Accountability Act.

This is a very fluid story, and I will provide updates as they become available.  Reports are suggesting that an Alabama Supreme Court challenge will be next. (See below)

March 6, 5:07 p.m. – Republicans have filed a notice of appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court.

March 6 – After a brief hearing, Montgomery Circuit Court Judge Charles Price signed an injunction preventing Governor Bentley from signing the Act, passed on February 28.  Price set a full hearing for March 15.

March 4 – The Alabama Education Association (AEA) filed a lawsuit claiming the Republicans in the Conference Committee (where the Senate and House versions of the bill had to be reconciled) violated the Open Meetings Act and violated rules set in the legislature stating that a bill’s purpose cannot be changed during a Conference Committee.  The AEA asked for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to keep the bill from getting to the Governor’s desk.  The TRO was granted by Judge Price on March 5.

February 28 – The Alabama Accountability Act was passed by both the House and Senate after 4 Republicans and 2 Democrats worked through a Conference Committee to reconcile differences among the House-passed version and the Senate-passed version.  When the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill (due to the addition of Amendments), whichever body passes it last sends it back to the original body to “concur”.  If the original body does not concur, then a Conference Committee tries to work out the differences.

You will notice that I am being very careful here, not commenting on the process or the rhetoric that surrounds both what is in the bill and how the bill was passed.  I am leaving that commentary to everyone else, including him, them, them, her and him.

You can follow me on twitter at @ALSchoolConnect for breaking updates.  I follow and will retweet all the folks who are on the ground in Montgomery gathering the information first-hand, like Brian Lyman (@lyman_brian) Kim Chandler (@StatehouseKim) and Mike Cason (@MikeCasonAlaLeg).  Apologies to those I failed to mention (message me on twitter if you have news to share on the Act).  Here is al.com’s page that houses all articles related to the Alabama Accountability Act.