In Alabama's legislative news, 'twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...until after January hits, that is! Come January, Alabama will see a huge shakeup in its legislative makeup after President Trump takes office.  First and foremost, Senator Sessions will, barring something out of left field, be confirmed as the US Attorney General - opening a Senate seat that will be filled by an appointee of Governor Bentley. Bentley is being barraged daily with propositions and pleas from all over the State to choose who will rise to the occasion and attempt to fill the shoes vacated by Session in the US Senate. Selecting the State's next senator is potentially the most important decision Bentley will ever make in his tenure as Governor. This one appointment could have a greater impact on the State's future than any other act of his administration and will, daresay, help shape Alabama's political future (& power) for years to come.  Coupled with turnover in the State's Supreme Court with Moore's suspension and soon-to-happen appeal that may reverse that decision, Governor Bentley has a lot to think about - and that doesn't even include his own personal issues. Good luck to Bentley - quite a bit is resting on his shoulders this holiday season.

   In the months before the run-up to the second Tuesday in November, several things occurred in Alabama politics that went unnoticed while the focus was on the presidential players. First, a federal appeals court upheld the legislature's banning PAC to PAC transfers - a big blow to the former powerhouse in politics, the Alabama Education Association.  In early October, the U.S. Justice Department launched a statewide investigation into the safety and sanitary conditions of Alabama's men's prisons - most likely a precursor to a federal takeover of the State's prison system.  State Senator Cam Ward of Shelby County, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and plans to deal with the prison issue head-on, says, "At the end of the day you have to change the facilities to some degree not just for the safety of inmates but for the safety of those who work there."  Expect to see the prison issue grab the headlines when the Legislature convenes in February.  Also in October, Bentley formed the Governor's Advisory Council on Gambling who continue to meet and will formulate a plan of action to recommend to the legislature by January 31, 2017 - this legislative recommendation could have the largest impact on our State budget ever seen.

   As for real-estate related State legislation, not much has happened yet.  It is rumored that the Historical Tax Credit will again be dropped in the bin for reconsideration and the 2017 Legislative Agenda for the Alabama Association of REALTORS® was formulated in September 2016. Included in that agenda is advocating for the renewal of the Historic Tax Credit, increasing professionalism in the real estate industry (by possibly increasing your CE requirements), continuing to fight to protect the Mortgage Interest Deduction, keeping fees off real estate and defending legislation that threatens the real estate industry.  It is our hope that one of our own, Senator Slade Blackwell, CCIM®, will help push the Historic Tax Credit as Chair of the Senate's Banking & Insurance Committee - it's the one real-estate related bill that may have the most positive impact on Alabama CCIM® members in 2017.  Happy Holidays to you and yours and wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Chip Watts, CCIM, CPM

President

Watts Realty Co., Inc