Alabama families could soon pay less at the grocery store after lawmakers gave final passage Thursday to a landmark bill to remove half of the 4% state sales tax on food, capping decades of fruitless attempts at such a tax cut.
The legislation now heads to the desk of Gov. Kay Ivey, whose office said she will review it when she receives it. Alabama is one of only three states that tax groceries at the same rate as other purchases. Advocates had long argued that taxing food is an unfair burden on families in the poor state where 16% of people live in poverty and the median household income hovers around $54,000.
