When does it all start again?

I’ve been getting a few questions about when we will be pushing our issues, so it’s probably a good time to go over the timeline of the Alabama legislature and Free the Hops. The Alabama legislature is a part-time body – the are constitutionally limited to meet no more than 30 calendar days in regular session.

There is a lot of talk about a special session in early December to tackle some ethics reform legislation, but that doesn’t count as part of the 30 days and no Free the Hops legislation will be considered. There will also be an organizational session in January so that the newly-elected legislature can pick their leadership and committee assignments, but that also won’t count as part of the 30 days and no legislation may be introduced.

We won’t be able to move bills through the legislature until the 2011 Regular Session which will begin in March and will likely last until some time in June. The legislature typically meets twice a week – thus extending the 30 meeting days for a few months. So, while Free the Hops is currently working a little behind-the-scenes with organization and strategy, the real fun won’t start until March. Between March and June, the pace will turn into a sprint.