Alabama Legislature's Final Days: Tensions Cool, Filibusters Loom

0:00It's April 6th. Welcome to Birmingham News today, powered by AI. State rep Ernie Yarbrough from Trinity just dropped House Bill 6666 on April 2nd. It aims to shut down payroll deductions for public teachers unions in Alabama and scrap those narrow opt-out windows for other unions still using the system. Basically, no more state acting as the bill collector for these groups. Groups like the Alabama Policy Institute are cheering it on. They dropped a report last year showing the Alabama Education Association got nearly $30 million from the National Education Association over the past decade. That cash made up of about 17% of their yearly revenue on average, pushing the state to stop using taxpayer resources for private dues. Collection. Leaders from the Institute say it's about keeping government lean and letting workers choose freely without forced paycheck grabs. The Freedom Foundation, which fights for public workers nationwide, backs it too. They've pushed similar wins in states like Florida and Oklahoma,

1:02calling out how tiny 10-day opt-out periods trap folks in unions they might not. Want. Critics from the Teachers Association point to those opt-out rules as the real issue for employee rights. But supporters argue it's time for unions to handle their own billing like any business. Yarbrough knows this session's wrapped, but filing now sparks the debate for next year when it could actually pass and reshape how dues flow in. Alabama Schools.