The 2022 Alabama legislative session starts Tuesday. And from guns to Covid to gambling, there's a lot to talk about this year on the floor.
"For me, it's about doing what's going to help boost our economy," said House Minority Leader .
So far, close to 100 bills have . Ten bills have been , meaning they'll be read Tuesday.
One of the bills up for discussion this year is a familiar one: gambling.
"Things get crazy when gambling gets on the board," said District 10 Representative Mike Ball.
Many lawmakers are hoping this year is different.
"We're all ears," Daniels said. "We don't take a one-size-fits-all approach to any issue."
"People like me say it's time to put a lottery on the ballot and let people vote for it. If they want it, they want it. If they don't, they don't," said Ball.
Another bill up for discussion is in honor of Sheffield Police Sgt. Nick Risner, who was killed in the line of duty last fall.
That bill would eliminate good time earned by violent offenders and change the way criminals are released from prison.
"I do think crimes of violence should be treated different," said Ball. "Give them enough room to mess up, and the ones that mess up, you get them back. But the ones that you let out and you know are being monitored, they will have a tendency to behave."
There's also a bill up for discussion that could change how citizens get a gun in the state, making it easier. Pistols would no longer need permits and for the guns that do, the state would be in charge of issuing and maintaining those permits, not your local sheriff's office.
This idea is already getting some major push back from local leaders.
"That particular bill just makes no sense," said Daniels. "Allowing a bad guy or someone who's mentally ill to have access to a weapon, circumventing the system we have in place."
"I think there's a way to marry what the state would like to do with the needs of local law enforcement, and we hope the Legislature will move in that direction," said Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox.
