Tag Archives: Alabama Legislature
Alabama on verge of requiring sellers to say where their seafood comes from
The seafood industry that put this small city on the map says it is in crisis, buffeted by foreign imports that have driven down the price of shrimp to as little as a dollar per pound. Those prices are comparable to what shrimp fetched in the early 1980s – too low, Steve Sprinkle said, for many operators even to take their boats out. But the Alabama Legislature is trying to at least make it easier for consumers who want to buy local. A bill that got final approval this week would require restaurants to include “country of origin” information on or with the menu. There’s a similar requirement for good trucks and stores. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:48
Alabama: Seafood bill raising questions about tax breaks pitched to lawmakers
For Ernie Anderson, the legislation that passed out of the Alabama House last week will help a dwindling number of commercial fishermen save costs while purchasing equipment to do their jobs. Problem is, no one seems to know how much that is. The bill, HB10, allows the entire commercial fishing industry similar tax exemptions and reduced tax obligations like those offered to farmers, who pay 1.5% on sales taxes. Commercial fishermen, excluding commercial shrimpers, currently pay a 4% sales tax rate whenever they purchase equipment like netting and bait. >click to read< 14:01