Gov. Kay Ivey disbands gambling, grocery tax task forces

July 14--Gov. Kay Ivey Wednesday disbanded 18 commissions, councils and task forces set up by Gov. Robert Bentley.

The casualties included the Alabama Advisory Council on Gaming and the Grocery Tax Task Force, which aimed to recommend ways of taking the state's four percent sales tax off groceries.

The governor signed an executive order undoing the groups. In a statement, Ivey said she would work with the Legislature to address the "very important issues facing our state."

"I believe strongly that my role is to make decisions and lead, not kick the can down the road," the statement said. "I am choosing to tackle some of the issues that have previously been sent before a task force."

Ivey ordered a review of existing task forces in May.

It is not clear how many of the commissions were still active or had met recently. Some completed their work years ago: The Alabama Health Insurance Exchange Study Commission gave its report to Bentley in December of 2011. Most of the affected groups lacked budgets, meaning savings will be minimal.

The Advisory Council on Gambling, established by Bentley in the aftermath of a lottery defeat in 2016, aimed to sort through the legal issues surrounding the subject. It met through the fall and winter and was preparing a final report. Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, who supports regulated casino gambling and a member of the council, said Wednesday he was not given advanced notice.

"I understand it didn't come under her administration," he said. "I think we'll have an opportunity to get back at it and work it from a legislative point of view."

The council was supposed to prepare a report on gambling; the status of that report was not clear Wednesday evening.

Bentley established the Grocery Tax Task Force in February to look at potential replacements for the tax, which in Montgomery County helps drive the combined levy on food to 10 percent. The task force had June 1 deadline to submit a report, but it's not clear if the group ever held a meeting. Ivey replaced Alabama Department of Revenue Commissioner Julie Magee, the chairwoman, shortly after Bentley resigned from office in April.

Ivey will retain the Alabama Council on Opioid Misuse and Addiction, set up by Bentley in December to address the use of opioids in the state. Alabama has one of the highest rates of prescription in the country and saw a 20 percent growth in overdose deaths between 2013 and 2014.

Disbanded (with dates of establishment):

* Alabama Commission on Improving State Government (created Jan. 25 2011)

* Governor's Commission on Coastal Insurance (April 6 2011)

* Alabama Forest Recovery Task Force (May 5 2011)

* Alabama Health Insurance Exchange Study Commission (June 2 2011)

* Alabama Economic Development Alliance (July 18 2011)

* Law Enforcement Stakeholder Task Force (June 21, 2012)

* Governor's College and Career Ready Task Force (January 15 2013)

* Alabama Medicaid Pharmacy Study Commission (June 6 2013)

* Alabama Industrial Energy Advisory Team (May 9 2014)

* Alabama Small Business Advisory Council (September 15 2014)

* Alabama Health Care Improvement Task Force (April 6 2015)

* Alabama Human Resources Task Force (August 14 2015)

* Tax Exemption Advisory Council (August 19 2015)

* Health Literacy Partnership (April 20 2016)

* Alabama Consumer Credit Task Force (June 14 2016)

* Alabama Solid Waste Management Task Force (September 15 2016)

* Alabama Advisory Council on Gaming (Oct. 3 2016)

* Grocery Tax Task Force (Feb. 21 2017)

___

(c)2017 the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.)

Visit the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) at www.montgomeryadvertiser.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.