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Three Big Things

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  • House conservative hardliners demand two-bill approach to Trump’s agenda, more than $540B in cuts

    The conservative House Freedom Caucus laid out their “phase one” proposal Thursday for legislation to carry out President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda, calling for billions of dollars in spending cuts among other Republican wish list items.

    The 31-member bloc asked Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to introduce two bills, the first of which would reverse more than half a dozen Biden administration policies with the goal of saving between $361 and $541 billion over the next decade.

    Those proposals include repealing President Biden’s electric vehicle mandate, cutting funding for the IRS, adding work requirements for Medicare and food stamps, eliminating benefits for illegal immigrants, and allowing oil and gas drilling on federal land and offshore sites.

    In exchange, the lawmakers said they would support a $4 trillion increase in the federal debt ceiling ahead of a prospective June deadline to increase America’s credit limit.

    “Our proposal is a Republican plan that we believe can reach 218 votes, that would also allow us to keep the ball on the Republican side of the negotiating field for defense and non-defense appropriations – while delivering wins and uniting the conference,” the caucus wrote in an unsigned statement accompanying its pitch.

    In addition to those cuts and reforms, the Freedom Caucus wants between $100 and $200 billion in increased defense spending, as well as an extra $100 billion in border security funding over the next four years.

    The first bill does not deal with expanding or making permanent Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which expire at the end of this year.

    The Freedom Caucus’ approach also diverges from plans by Johnson and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.), who want everything in a single bill, making it easier to get potential rabble-rousers on board.

    Trump himself has expressed support for what he calls the “one big beautiful bill” approach, but has signaled that he approves of whichever path makes life easier for House and Senate GOP leadership.

    Historically, the Freedom Caucus members has butted heads with GOP leadership on government spending. Last month, for example, many members of the group railed against Johnson’s plan to avert a government shutdown, which ultimately passed with Democratic support.


    READ MORE HERE: House Freedom Caucus calls for two-bill approach to Trump's agenda with up to $540 billion in cuts in phase one

  • Daniels makes case for permanent tax cut on overtime, wants study of impact

    The tax cut will end in late June if lawmakers don’t extend it in the upcoming legislative session. In his pitch for permanency, Daniels argues it’s generating greater revenues for the state in other tax revenues, increasing companies’ productivity and letting Alabamians who need it keep more of their money.

    READ MORE HERE:  Daniels makes case for permanent tax cut on overtime, wants study of impact - Alabama Daily News

  • Gulf Shores Little Lagoon project at Laguna Cove is back on track with $2 million in new funding

    GULF SHORES, Ala. (WALA) By Hal Scheurich - A project in the works for several years will soon get underway in Gulf Shores. The Laguna Cove Little Lagoon Natural Resource Protection Project will transform 53 acres of coastal habitat into a protected natural sanctuary.

    It was back in 2017 when the Gulf Shores City Council authorized the project agreement with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. At the time, the city received $4.4 million dollars in Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) funding from the state. The city intended to move forward with the project in 2019 and purchased the property at the west end of Highway 182 on the south side of Little Lagoon for $3 million dollars.

    “And then of course, in 2020 COVID hit and so construction costs increased, and things got a little crazy and so, we managed to circle back and go get this additional funding so that we can complete the project as intended,” said Director of Natural Resources for the City of Gulf Shores, Dan Bond.

    The city has been awarded an additional $2 million dollars in NRDA funding from the state to cover the cost of construction. The 53-acre tract consists of 6,100 feet of shoreline on Little Lagoon and critical wetlands and dune habitats. When complete, the environmentally friendly park will offer a variety of low impact recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike.

    “Those include things like nature trails, wetland boardwalks, interpretive areas for people to learn about the environment as well as there will be an ADA accessible kayak launch, so really low-impact, passive recreation opportunities for people to enjoy the lagoon,” Bond explained.

    Don McKenzie and Jane West come to Gulf Shores all the way from Chattanooga, TN every year at this time, birding and enjoying all the outdoor opportunities south Alabama offers. The new park is something they’re already looking forward to.

    “We explore and bird watch on Little Lagoon on all sides of it. We go all the way down to the National Wildlife Refuge and the kayak launch, this spot, so everywhere we can get access to this lagoon we go and see what birds we can find,” McKenzie said. “Just becomes part of our rotation…places we visit down here.”

    Bids on the project will go out this spring with work beginning by summer. It should be open by spring of 2026. The project is being paid for through the state’s Natural Resource Damage Assessment fund which was established to distribute BP restoration funds after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.


    READ MORE HERE: Gulf Shores Little Lagoon project at Laguna Cove is back on track with $2 million in new funding

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