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The 2025 Alabama legislative session has concluded, with lawmakers approving a substantial budget of $13.7 billion for the General Fund and Education programs. Several commendable bills emerged from this session, particularly those aimed at improving the lives of Alabamians.Notable measures include reducing the state’s grocery sales tax to 2% starting in September, providing paid parental leave for teachers and state employees, enhancing education by banning cell phones during school hours, and increasing funding for special education and English language learner programs.Public safety was also prioritized with the ban on Glock switches, a critical step in addressing gun-related violence.Somewhat perplexing was the need to spend lawmaker time defining what constitutes a woman, particularly since less than 20% of the legislature is female. While gender identity is an important and sensitive issue, there are widespread, practical concerns that deserved lawmakers' attention more urgently, like extending the tax exemption on overtime wages.Lawmakers cited the anticipated budgetary impact as the reason for not extending. This benefit would have helped ease financial burdens for hourly workers, particularly those living paycheck to paycheck.In these sessions, where time and focus are limited, lawmakers must prioritize initiatives with clear and significant benefits for the majority of their constituents.