5/2/05-An effort to amend Alabama’s constitution has died in the House. It sought to levy an additional ad valorem tax on motor vehicles to improve transit in Jefferson County, which includes Birmingham.
House lawmakers voted 49-6 for the referendum with several members not voting. Proposed constitutional amendments require 63 votes to pass the chamber.
The bill called for raising about $40 million to expand bus service, add dedicated transit lanes to highways, build park-and-ride lots and resume trolley service in Birmingham.
Sponsored by Rep. George Perdue, D-Birmingham, HB512 was designed to provide a steady funding source to secure more than $80 million in transit funding.
The bill would have increased tag fees for commercial vehicles by 5 percent and fees for personal vehicles would have gone up 3.75 percent. Fees, which would have been tax-deductible, would have been based on the vehicle’s taxable value.
It required local voter approval to take effect.

3/28/05-A bill before the Jefferson County Legislation Committee would levy an additional ad valorem tax on motor vehicles to improve transit in the county that includes Birmingham.
The panel is scheduled to vote this week on the bill, which would raise about $40 million to expand bus service, add dedicated transit lanes to highways, build park-and-ride lots and resume trolley service in Birmingham.
Sponsored by Rep. George Perdue, D-Birmingham, HB512 is designed to provide a steady funding source to secure more than $80 million in transit funding that U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-AL, has set aside. Federal transit funding could reach $750 million over the next decade.
The bill would increase tag fees for commercial vehicles by 5 percent and fees for personal vehicles would go up 3.75 percent. Fees, which would be tax-deductible, would be based on the vehicle’s taxable value.
If approved by lawmakers in the House and Senate, it would still have to get local voter approval to take effect.
For House bill status, call (334) 242-7627. In Alabama, call 1-800-499-3052.