Huntsville and Baldwin Continue Population Gains, Birmingham Remains in Top 50 of U.S. Metros
The Huntsville area and Baldwin County continue to add more new residents, while growth in Shelby County and St. Clair County helped the Birmingham Metro Area return to positive growth after two years of population loss. That’s according to new estimates of population change in U.S. counties and metro areas published by the U.S. Census […]
Revisiting PARCA’s Annual Forum
Housing inventory continues to fall, and prices continue to rise. Pressures on the housing market ripple across the economy but may have the most significant impact on middle-income workers – those earning between 80% and 120% of the median income. As housing prices increase, middle-income workers often struggle to live where they work. The shortage […]
Alabama Public Opinion Survey
PARCA’s most recent public opinion survey finds, once again, aversion to certain taxes, support for public education, and mistrust in state government. At the same time, the survey finds a lack of consensus on how the state should respond to other critical issues. Among the findings: PARCA’s annual public opinion survey was conducted between October […]
Proposed Statewide Amendment to the Alabama Constitution of 2022
Statewide Amendment 1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to amend Section 71.01 authorizing the Legislature to sign and transmit local laws or constitutional amendments before the transmission of basic appropriations. Proposed by Act 2023-562 (Senate Bill 3, 2023 Second Special Session)Bill Sponsor: Senator Chambliss When voters go to the polls […]
The Alabama Constitution Reformed: Is There Still Work to Do?
In 2022, Alabama adopted a “new” constitution, an improved and reorganized version of the Alabama Constitution of 1901. The vote was the culmination of decades of advocacy and was rightly celebrated. The new Constitution removed the racist and unconstitutional provisions that were relics of the White Supremacist 1901 Constitution. Printable PDF version available here It […]
How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2023
Despite the wild gyrations in the economy since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, the latest comparative data from the U.S. Census Bureau finds Alabama in a familiar position: at or near the bottom in state and local government tax collections. Key Findings • Alabama is a low-tax state: In FY 2021, […]
Alabama State Tax Collections, 2023
Increases, Decreases, and Trends in the Revenue Supporting State Government The 2023 fiscal year, which ended on September 30, was a mixed year for Alabama revenue collections. After several years of strong growth, Alabama tax collections turned in a mixed performance in 2023, with the General Fund (GF), which supports non-education spending, up substantially. Education […]
2022 City and MSA Population Estimates
Huntsville continued to surge ahead as Alabama’s three other largest cities lost population to surrounding suburbs. However, the pace of decline slowed in Birmingham and Montgomery, as it did in many cities nationwide that were hit hard by pandemic-driven change. That’s from the latest estimates produced by U.S. Census Bureau. The estimates cover the period […]
E-Commerce and Taxation: Questions of Efficiency and Equal Treatment
PARCA’s new report, titled E-Commerce and Taxation: Questions of Efficiency and Equal Treatment, questions whether changes are needed to the state’s Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT). Executive Summary Alabama’s tax on online goods sold by out-of-state sellers, the Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT), has been a boost to state budgets but a mixed blessing for […]
Most Alabama Counties Grew in 2022, Reversing Trend
People are moving to Alabama, and according to most recent population estimates, the growth is more widespread than it has been. Out of 67 counties, 36 saw population growth between July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2022, the period covered in the latest Census Bureau release. In the prior year, only 29 counties saw positive […]