Neil Rafferty

Action: Rafferty sponsored HB152, which became law in 2025. It exempts covered purchases from state sales and use taxes from September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028.

Who may be affected: Parents, people buying menstrual products, and caregivers buying diapers may pay less state tax on these necessities. Covered items include formula, baby bottles and wipes, breast pumps and related supplies, maternity clothing, and diapers for children or adults.

Supporters say: Rep. Danny Garrett supported the bill as tax relief for a broad group of residents. Rep. Ginny Shaver added adult diapers during House debate. The House passed the bill unanimously.

Details: County and city taxes still apply unless the local government adopts a matching exemption. During House debate, lawmakers estimated about $13 million in reduced annual revenue for the Education Trust Fund, which supports schools and colleges. That was an estimate, not a measured result.

Final law text: HB152
Alabama Department of Revenue: dates, covered items, and local taxes
Alabama Reflector: House support and revenue estimate

Stated position: Rafferty supports expanding Medicaid, the public health-insurance program, to more low-income adults. His campaign also emphasizes mental-health services and keeping hospitals open. These are policy goals, not changes he has enacted.

Who may be affected: Adults without affordable insurance and hospitals treating uninsured patients could be affected by broader coverage. State officials would also need to plan for funding and administration.

Supporters say: Rafferty argues that expansion would improve access to care and support hospitals. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama has separately proposed using expansion funding for private coverage, arguing that fewer uninsured patients could help hospitals.

Caution raised: In January 2025, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said lawmakers should wait to see how the incoming federal administration would handle expansion. County officials' agenda also called for using federal funding without creating undue state budget obligations.

Details: The insurer's private-coverage proposal is not necessarily Rafferty's preferred approach. Coverage design, state costs, and federal rules matter when evaluating any expansion plan.

Rafferty's campaign: healthcare position
Alabama Reflector: coverage proposal and legislative cautions in 2025

Stated position: Rafferty opposes the CHOOSE Act and supports funding public schools. The CHOOSE Act helps eligible families pay approved education expenses, including private-school tuition.

Who may be affected: Families seeking other education options, students staying in public schools, and schools relying on state funding may be affected by how education money is allocated.

Critics of the program say: Rep. Barbara Drummond argues that funding the CHOOSE Act could compete with reading, math, and other public-school programs. Some Republican lawmakers have also raised concerns about the cost of expanding eligibility.

Supporters of the program say: Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter points to demand from families. Education budget chair Danny Garrett says awards remain limited by the amount lawmakers fund, even when more families become eligible.

Details: These are arguments about education funding, not evidence that either outcome is guaranteed. Rafferty's position is separate from the views of the lawmakers quoted here.

Alabama Reflector voter guide: Rafferty's position
Alabama Reflector: competing views on eligibility and school funding

Action: Rafferty opposed SB330, the 2025 law reorganizing Birmingham Water Works as a regional authority. During House debate, he proposed barring the regional board from owning a sewer system in the county where its authorizing municipality is located.

Who may be affected: Water customers, residents served by nearby sewer systems, and local governments may be affected by who oversees the utility. Board decisions can affect bills, maintenance, and long-term infrastructure.

His concern: Rafferty argued that the bill reduced local input and had not fully considered its relationship with Jefferson County's sewer system.

Supporters of the reorganization say: They pointed to billing problems, oversight concerns, and public trust as reasons to change the board's structure.

What happened: His amendment failed 69-29. The reorganization became law on May 7, 2025. The amendment did not change the law, and the vote alone does not establish how customers' bills would change.

Original text: Rafferty's sewer-ownership amendment
Alabama Reflector: his objections, amendment, and vote
Alabama Reflector: enactment and reasons supporters gave