Two more ACCA priority bills signed into law
This past week, two more ACCA priority bills were signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey. Effective October 1, 2025, Act 2025-49 by Sen. Tom Butler and Rep. Debbie Wood renames the Alabama Local Government Training Institute as the “Buddy Sharpless Education Institute” to honor the man who spearheaded the creation of this educational program for county commissioners during his 1974-2009 tenure as ACCA’s Executive Director. Effective March 19, 2025, Act 2025-54 by Sen. Will Barfoot and Rep. Phillip Ensler creates a state-level prohibition on the possession and use of Glock switches, which are devices increasingly used by criminals to convert semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic firearms.
Legislative Session on pause this week; Counties urged to stay on lookout for “Goat Hill Alert” emails
Alabama state lawmakers have left Montgomery and will be enjoying the Legislature’s annual spring break this week, which means there will be no Goat Hill Prep email distributed to counties today. Nevertheless, particularly dangerous issues are still evolving in Montgomery this week, so county leaders are encouraged to stay on the lookout for any “Goat Hill Alert” emails requiring important action.
Registration now open for 2025 NACo Conference
Registration is now open for the 2025 National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference and Exposition, set to take place July 11-14 in Philadelphia. The largest meeting of county elected officials and staff from across the U.S., the annual conference provides county leaders the opportunity to exchange cutting-edge ideas and practices, elect the association’s leadership and shape NACo’s federal policy agenda for the year ahead. All county leaders are encouraged to attend and to make hotel reservations as soon as possible, as hotel rooms always book up quickly. Find complete conference and registration details here.
March 31 is deadline for select counties to complete annual LATCF report
Counties that received funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Local and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF) are reminded that next Monday, March 31, is the deadline to complete your county’s annual LATCF Report in the U.S. Treasury Portal. Covered in the report should be obligations and expenditures of LATCF funds for the period of January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. Counties participating in the Investing in Alabama Counties (IAC) program are encouraged to reach out to the IAC staff for any questions or assistance related to this quickly approaching deadline.
County 911 professionals to receive “ECD administration” training this week
County 911 professionals from across the state will gather at the Marriott Prattville Hotel and Conference Center later this week for the County Government Education Institute’s “Fundamentals of Emergency Communications District (ECD) Administration” course. Scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, the class will provide participants with a detailed look at Alabama’s requirements for operating and managing an ECD — with topics including operational authority, liability protection, records retention, public meeting procedures and audit preparation. A complete course agenda can be accessed here.