Ivey Calls on Lawmakers to "Let the Kids Play!"

Governor Kay Ivey made a bold statement during her final State of the State address, urging Alabama lawmakers to take action. The issue? The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) and its policy of sidelining student-athletes who transfer using CHOOSE Act funds.

The CHOOSE Act Controversy

Remember the CHOOSE Act, signed into law back in 2024? It created education savings accounts for families, allowing them to use those funds for things like private school tuition. The AHSAA, however, decided to treat these funds as "financial aid." This triggered their existing rule forcing transfer students receiving financial aid to sit out a year before competing.

Ivey and Ledbetter vs. the AHSAA

Last year, Ivey and Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter even took the AHSAA to court over this issue! They fought tooth and nail against a new rule that would've benched student-athletes transferring with school choice funds.

"The Let the Kids Play Act"

Now, lawmakers are ready to step up and reinforce the rules. According to Ivey, Representative Danny Garrett and Senator Clyde Chambliss will be championing "The Let the Kids Play Act" this session. The goal? To ensure that families benefitting from the CHOOSE Act aren't unfairly sidelined again. Garrett, the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Education Committee, and Chambliss, Chairman of the Senate Local Legislation Committee, are key players in this effort. Let's see if they can get this done and finally "Let the Kids Play!"