On Wednesday, the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee gave a favorable report to the grocery tax bill.
The legislation, HB479, would reduce the current 4 percent tax rate on food to 2 percent over the next couple of years beginning on Sept. 1, 2023. However, this will be contingent on the Education Trust Fund growing by at least two percent.
During the meeting, Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, discussed the broad support behind the bill and the momentum to get it past the Legislature.
“We have 140 legislators, and 135 of them have signed onto the bill,” Jones said. “We have all but 5 members of the Legislature that have signed on and co-sponsored these pieces of legislation. Never seen anything with as much broad support and this much momentum.”
The legislation will move to the Senate but the clock is ticking as there are only two days left of the session to pass the legislation and send it to Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk.
