As the last legislative session of the quadrennium begins, the budgets are the priority, as always. The education funding dollars will not be flowing as prolifically as they have the past three years.

There will be some wrestling within the education community for dollars. This jockeying will be confounded even further because of an exponential jump in health insurance costs.

There will be a tug-of-war within the higher education community. The clear winner of that battle will be the Alabama Community College System, and rightfully so.

Our Alabama Community College System educates and prepares ALABAMA students for ALABAMA jobs. The ACCS has quietly become the engine and mainstay for job creation and workforce development in our state.

Therefore, the new king of Alabama higher education politics is the Alabama Community College System. Their budget affects 25 communities all over the state, both large and small. Over the last decade under the leadership of Chancellor Jimmy Baker, the ACCS has become a political giant. They have taken a rightful place at the table.

This locally driven power has been enhanced by the fact that Alabama, and the nation, have realized that technical and job-related education is the real impetus for a state’s growth and prosperity.

Local legislators understand protecting and enhancing their local community college is their most important job for their district. Their community college is many times the largest employer in their district. Even when it is not the largest employer in a district, the community college is responsible for training the workforce for the district’s largest employers. Legislators also know that 96% of their hometown kids are going to go to work in their hometowns. Most legislators want to vote first for their own district’s needs and prosperities. All politics is local.

The Community College System is poised to dominate public university funding for at least the next five years for another unique reason. Never in history has there been the perfect storm where every major legislative leader’s paramount priority will be their community college.

Senator Arthur Orr of Decatur is the Czar of Education dollars in Alabama. He has been Chairman of the Senate Education Finance Committee for the last 10 years and will probably be for the next five years at least. His primary interest is Calhoun Community College, which sits on the Decatur/Huntsville border, at the center of the state’s most growth prominent area. It, therefore, garners the interest and loyalty of the sizeable Decatur/Huntsville legislative delegation, which includes Representative Rex Reynolds of Huntsville, Chairman of the House Budget Committee. The enrollment of Calhoun Community College is already over 10,000 and will probably be 20,000 over the next five years.

Jeff State’s enrollment is at 10,000, also. It is probably as important to Orr’s counterpart, Representative Danny Garrett of Trussville, as UAB.

The most powerful legislator in the state is Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter of Rainsville. His primary interest are the two colleges in his area. His alma mater, the Northeast Alabama Community College, and Snead State in Boaz. These two colleges are his UAB. Senate Majority Leader Steve Livingston of Scottsboro has the same interest as Ledbetter.

The President Pro Tem of the State Senate is Garlan Gudger of Cullman. His primary interest is protecting his college and major employer, Wallace Community College in Cullman County. Their School of Nursing is bolstering the growth and prosperity of the burgeoning Cullman Regional Medical Center.

Speaking of medical centers, Dothan has become the medical mecca for southeast Alabama, northwest Florida panhandle, and southwestern Georgia. Healthcare is the largest employer in Houston County. The entire Wiregrass delegation, all Republican, realize this and their one unifying factor is the growth and prosperity of Wallace Community College, which supplies most of the top-level nursing needs for that area of Alabama.

Bevill State in Walker County has been the focal point for job creation for that area for decades, and will be for generations to come. It is of utmost importance to the Walker County legislators.

Finally, Mobile is moving towards becoming a national leader in shipbuilding. The entire Mobile delegation recognizes that Bishop State will be the training ground for their workforce. It unites the Republicans and Democrats in the Mobile delegation. Neighboring Baldwin County is the fastest growing county in the state. It is a very prosperous county and has a 100% Republican delegation. This sizeable legislative delegation is very cognizant that their Coastal Community College is also the fastest growing college in the state. It is approaching 10,000 enrollment and most of these legislators’ constituents’ children are headed towards Coastal and will stay home after college.

Folks, when it comes to higher education funding, all politics is local, and the Community College System is poised to be the King of Goat Hill.

See you next week.