Rep. Mack Butler

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Alabama's lodging tax rules for Etowah County by changing the minimum stay requirement from 30 to 180 continuous days before the tax no longer applies. The change directly affects hotels, vacation rentals, and other lodging providers in Etowah County that offer extended-stay accommodations. Under the new provision, guests staying for 180 or more consecutive days would not be charged the lodging tax, while shorter stays would remain subject to the tax. The bill also includes minor technical updates to align the code language with current formatting standards and takes effect on October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new personnel department for Etowah County, Alabama, to manage classified service employees. The department will include a five-member personnel board with staggered terms, appointed by various county officials, the chamber of commerce, and labor councils. Board members must be qualified voters who cannot hold other county jobs, and they will receive per diem payments for meetings. The changes take effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the lodging tax rules in Etowah County, Alabama, by increasing the required continuous stay period for tax exemption from 30 days to 180 days. It directly affects hotels, motels, inns, and other lodging establishments operating in the county by changing how long guests must stay to avoid the two percent privilege and license tax on their room charges. The bill also specifies that tax revenue collected will be split equally between tourism promotion and beautification and ecology projects, with funds managed by local commissions. The changes are set to take effect on October 1, 2026, and apply only to accommodations provided to transient guests.

Maddy summaryHB 420 increases penalties for discharging a firearm into an occupied school bus or school building to a Class A felony, the highest level of felony in Alabama. It also establishes a Class B felony for firing a gun on school property during school hours or activities, and a Class C felony for other discharges on school property. The bill includes exceptions for self-defense, organized firearm competitions, and school-sanctioned events involving firearms. The law will take effect on October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes four outdated laws that specifically apply to Etowah County, Alabama. The changes eliminate requirements for the county to pay health insurance for laid-off employees, allow special equipment and fuel discounts for volunteer groups, permit electronic signatures on county checks, and mandate prior approval for public events. These provisions will no longer be in effect starting October 1, 2026. The legislation is intended to clean up obsolete rules that are no longer relevant to the county's operations.

Maddy summaryHB 353 requires Alabama school districts to create an "Advanced Math Pathway" to prepare students for Algebra I in middle school and college-level math in high school. It automatically enrolls students who score proficient or higher on state math assessments (grades 5-11) but allows parents to opt their child in or out of the pathway. School districts must provide transparent information to families about math pathways, offer academic support for students in the pathway, and report annually to the legislature on enrollment, performance, and support usage. The bill directly affects students in grades 5-11, parents/guardians (through enrollment choices), and school districts (through implementation and reporting requirements).

Maddy summaryHB 475 requires Alabama's Public Service Commission to hold annual public meetings with utility representatives to discuss rates, infrastructure, and regulatory issues, with notice complying with open meetings laws. It prohibits electric utilities from including costs for grants, lobbying, or advertising in rate calculations for customer charges. Utilities must affirm in filings that they excluded these costs, and failure to do so voids the proposed rate change. The bill directly affects electric utilities and the Public Service Commission, aiming to increase transparency in rate-setting and prevent customers from paying for non-regulatory expenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House resolution that formally commends Kristi Bridges Smith, a teacher at Rainbow Middle School in Etowah County, for receiving the Travelers Award for Teaching Excellence. The resolution recognizes her 32 years of service, including her recent achievement of leading her school's Math Bee team to 10 consecutive championships and representing Alabama at a national awards gala in Washington, D.C. The measure serves as an official acknowledgment of her contributions to education rather than creating new laws or policies.

Maddy summaryHB 508 proposes repealing a specific constitutional requirement in Alabama that currently mandates voter approval for municipalities outside Etowah County to annex territory within Etowah County before January 1, 1986. If passed, this change would remove the need for a local election to approve such annexations, directly affecting municipalities seeking to expand into Etowah County territory. The bill targets Section 28-11.20 of Alabama’s Constitution, which created this voter approval process for pre-1986 annexations. This is a substantive policy change to streamline annexation procedures for affected municipalities.

Maddy summaryHB 26 would require parole or probation officers to restrict certain adult sex offenders (those convicted of offenses involving children) from using post office boxes or electronic devices with internet access, such as computers, tablets, or phones. It also mandates that courts or the Board of Pardons and Paroles may require these offenders to complete sex offender treatment, including periodic polygraph exams, as a condition of release. Violating these restrictions or treatment requirements would be a Class C felony. The bill applies specifically to sex offenders under community supervision (like parole or probation) and authorizes the Board to create rules for implementing the treatment program, which would include cost-sharing based on the offender’s ability to pay. The bill is pending in the Alabama House Judiciary Committee and would take effect October 1, 2026, if passed.