July 10, 2019 - 2020 Races Around the Corner
Folks, don’t look now, but the 2020 Presidential Election is upon us. Indeed, as many as 21 Democratic aspirants are already announced and campaigning.
They are quite a liberal group as you might expect. Leading the pack of Democrats trying to take Donald Trump out of the White House is an avowed, true socialist, Bernie Sanders. Behind ole Bernie are a host of ultra-liberal U.S. Senators who are socialists wannabes. They hail from either the left coasts of California or New England. Included in the pack of CNN/MSNBC/Stephen Colbert watchers are Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren of Massachusetts. She makes Teddy Kennedy look like a conservative. You also have Kamala Harris of California, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey and losing Texas Senate candidate, Beto O’Rourke, in the race.
Our own anomaly Democratic Senator Doug Jones really should run for president next year. He would have a much better chance of winning the Democratic nomination for President than winning a seat in the U.S. Senate from the Heart of Dixie.
He has been a liberal Democrat in Alabama his entire adult political life. He has been the soul of the liberal Alabama Democratic Party for decades. He has campaigned and voted for George McGovern, Walter Mondale, Teddy Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.
Since he has been in Washington for the past year, he has organized with and voted with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. Therefore, he is just as liberal with a much lengthier liberal pedigree than all of the aforementioned liberal Democratic Senators in the race; plus he has a proven Civil Rights record.
The scenario that occurred in last year’s special election to fill Jeff Sessions’s seat was a perfect storm that will never occur again. First of all, it was the only show in the country and the first opportunity for liberals all over the country to show their distaste for Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Having Judge Roy Moore as an additional lightning rod just added fuel to the fire. It attracted over $20 million of liberal, left-wing money to Doug Jones. He was able to out spend Moore 21 to 3. That is almost impossible to overcome, plus, with it being a Special Election it became a referendum on Doug Jones versus Roy Moore and the Republican vs Democratic delineation became obscured.
During this race, Doug Jones built a national liberal fund-raising base from left-wing America, much like Beto O’Rourke did in Texas. They both have become national stars as Democrats in Red States. Although O’Rourke probably has an edge on Jones in looks and youth. However, recently, Jones appeared on the left leaning Democratic Stephen Colbert Show. Jones may very well be eyeing national politics.
Doug Jones, as a lifelong stalwart Democrat, has worked diligently for the State and National Democratic party for most of his adult life. In recent months, he has tried to wrestle some control away from longtime Democratic dictator Joe Reed. It is practically impossible to understand what is going on in the State Democratic Party. Eventually, there may be a new vote on the party chairmanship. The National Democratic Party has mandated a new election due to the clandestine way that Nancy Worley was elected. The state hierarchy has ignored the National Party.
There is no doubt that Joe Reed is still in control of the Alabama Democratic Party. You can bet your bottom dollar that he calls all the shots. My guess is that he has his horse picked out of the 21 Democratic presidential candidates. He asked California Senator, Kamala Harris, to be the keynote speaker at his Alabama Democratic Conference June annual event. Therefore, Senator Harris might be a good horse to bet on to win next year’s March third Alabama Democratic Presidential Primary.
The Democratic Party in Alabama continues to be a big mess. The bottom line is that on the state level the Party is essentially irrelevant. The odds of a Democratic candidate for President carrying Alabama or a Democratic nominee winning any statewide race in the Heart of Dixie is slim to none.
See you next week.
July 3, 2019 - Legislative Session for Most Part Successful, Especially for Governor Kay Ivey
The 2019 Legislative Session was one of the most controversial yet productive sessions in memory.
Governor Kay Ivey’s first Session of the Quadrennial was a roaring success. It’s hard to remember a governor getting everything they wanted since the George Wallace heydays.
Wallace in his prime simply controlled the legislature. It was more like an appendage of the governor’s office. Kay Ivey has apparently taken a page from the old Wallace playbook. By the way, that is probably apropos as Kay cut her teeth in Alabama politics working for and learning from the Wallaces.
Governor Ivey started out the session by passing a gas tax increase which will fund major transportation/highway needs in the state. She ended the last week of the session by garnering legislation to give the governor control of the Pardons and Parole Board and then topping that off with legislation that will allow a vote next March on Alabama having an appointed state school board rather than an elected one. If this controversial amendment is approved by voters, then the governor will make most of the initial appointments.
One would have to say that Kay Ivey has pretty much got a lot of influence with this Legislature. Kay’s years of experience and probably more importantly her relationships with legislators is paying dividends for Alabama’s female Republican governor.
Any legislative session could be considered a success if both budgets pass. It is, by the way, the only constitutional mandate for a regular annual session.
The Education Budget is record breaking. It is a $7.1-billion-dollar budget with a $500 million dollar increase over last year’s budget. This largest in history budget gives teachers and education employees a four percent cost of living raise. It will also increase funding to the state’s heralded pre-kindergarten program. Alabama Community Colleges will get a significant increase. Legislators seem to realize the importance of technical training in the state in attracting manufacturing jobs. State Senator, Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and Representative Bill Poole (R- Tuscaloosa), the Chairmen of the Education Budget Committees in the Senate and House did an excellent job of shepherding the school budget through the legislative labyrinth.
The General Fund Budget which generally lags behind the Education Budget was also passed on a positive note. The budget calls for spending $2.2 billion dollars. It includes a two percent cost of living increase for state employees as well as an eight percent increase for the state’s understaffed prison system. Representative Steve Clouse (R – Ozark) is the veteran chairman of the House General Fund Committee.
One of the downsides of the Session was the Legislature’s inability to pass a Constitutional Amendment to allow Alabamians to vote to have a lottery like 45 other states, including all of our neighboring states.
It would pass overwhelmingly if put to a vote. Alabamians are simply tired of seeing their money going into the state coffers of Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Florida.
State Senator Jim McLendon (R-St. Clair) offered the best opportunity and most modern and profitable lottery proposal. However, his Bill was ignored in deference to the Indian Casinos legislation which was overtly written to continue to give these Indian Casinos a monopoly on electronic gaming in the state. The Indian casinos arrogantly flaunted their influence in the Legislature by offering a watered down, archaic, paper only lottery that would be obsolete within five years.
McLendon’s Bill would have generated $250 million. The Indian Casino’s Lottery would have given the state a paltry $100 million at best for a few years. The House Democrats boldly and wisely killed the Bill with the hopes that if you are going to approve a lottery, that it would be one that would benefit the state and not the Indian gambling syndicate.
In essence, the Choctaw Indian Casino’s in Mississippi killed the lottery 20 years ago with last minute money before balloting. The Poarch Creek Casinos beat it this time before it could get out of the gate. The power that the Poarch Creek Indian casinos are building in the Alabama Legislature is dangerous.
CBS 42 in Birmingham took a poll the last week of the session asking how their viewers rated the Legislature and Legislative Session. It was 86 percent negative. However, this is nothing new. Alabamian’s have always rated the Legislature negatively. However, if you ask them about their own legislators they will either not know who they are or they like them.
See you next week.
June 26, 2019 - State Ethics Law Not Tough Enough for Ole Rankin Fite
State Senator, Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia), has been in the Alabama House and Alabama Senate for over 40 years. That is a record in Alabama history and definitely a record of longevity for any Jefferson County legislator in history. Jabo Waggoner has had a significant impact on behalf of the folks in Jefferson County over his stellar career.
He has been instrumental in the growth of UAB.
In the 1970’s Waggoner sponsored legislation which spearheaded the purchase of 45 blocks in downtown Birmingham for UAB’s expansion. UAB purchased this property for $8.5 million. That would equate to $40 million in today’s dollars and has been invaluable toward the growth of UAB.
Jabo currently chairs the State Senate Rules Committee, a very powerful post. He also likes to honor history, protocol and precedent. Jabo essentially has his own Civitan Club. It is the Vestavia Civitan Club that meets every third Friday at the Vestavia Country Club. It has about 40-50 members and attendees. It is a pretty select group of civic leaders, legislators, lobbyists and Jefferson County power brokers. They attend and belong at Jabo’s request and invitation.
He brings only the most elite speakers to his Civitan Club. Jabo has been on the Board of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame for decades and has unparalleled Alabama sports connections. In recent years he has had Eli Gold, Bobby Humphrey, Charles Barkley and Gene Hallman to name a few. He also has the top governmental leaders from Washington and Montgomery to the club. They are reluctant to say no to the Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. A good many Cabinet members and Department Heads come to speak. Recently Tom Albritton, the Executive Director of the State Ethics Commission, spoke to the Club. Albritton’s appearance reminded me of the origins of our first Alabama Ethics Law.
Campaign finance laws and ethics disclosure forms for political campaigns and officeholders were enacted throughout the country in the 1970’s; mostly in reaction to public outcry for ethics reform after the Watergate corruption. Practically every state passed an ethics law.
In the 1970’s, Alabama had a lot of veteran crafty and crusty legislators. The craftiest of all was the legendary Legislator and Speaker of the House, Rankin Fite. Rankin had done pretty well financially as a lawyer and legislator without any ethics laws. Rankin and his colleagues were not about to succumb to the national trend of passing any Ethic Laws. That did not help the Alabama media from consistently harping on the need for such legislation.
George Wallace was governor and he had pretty much dismissed ethics reform as an issue. He did not want to put his friends in the legislature on the spot. He had a very harmonious working relationship with the legislature and did not want to step on toes and create a hornet’s nest.
However, one day late in the legislative session, Wallace decided to get a little good press. He called his legislative buddies in and said there were only a few more legislative days left in the session and it’s too late for anything to pass, much less an ethics bill, so let’s throw the press a bone by introducing one.
The plan was that the House would pass a House Ethics Bill and all of the Representatives would get credit for voting for an Ethics Bill knowing full well that the Senate would kill it. The Senators would then do the same so they could get credit knowing the House would kill their bill.
They gleefully went ahead with their plan and they and Wallace enjoyed their day in the sun.
Well, the press put a spotlight on the measures like never before and focused on the need for final passage. Things got out of hand and the House succumbed to public opinion. It got to the floor and once it got to a vote, the representatives were hard pressed to vote against an Ethics law.
Only a handful of House members had the nerve to vote against the Ethics Law. One of the few who did was Rankin Fite. A horde of House members and reporters gathered around the legendary crusty ole Speaker and asked why he voted against it. He looked them squarely in the eye and said, “It wasn’t tough enough for me.”
See you next week.
June 19, 2019 - One Vote Can Make a Difference
Some of us who were former legislators, who served our counties in the legislature a long time, were considered by many to always be their legislator. A good many of my former constituents still call me with questions or problems. Some ask me how to get in touch with their congressman or senator about a certain issue so that they can express their opinion. They invariably ask will their letter or email make a difference. My response is, “Yes, it will.”
All legislators or congressmen want to know what their constituents are thinking. They generally want to vote their district’s feelings and needs. When I was a legislator, I would cherish this input and actually solicit it.
One year, I received a nice note from one of my favorite retired teachers. I loved her. She had not only taught me but also taught my mom and dad. She was as fine a lady as I have ever known. Her note simply asked me to vote for some issue. I was not even cognizant of the issue until she made me aware of it. She even referred to it by a bill number. It did not pertain to education and I did not perceive it to have much opposition or controversy. I do not even remember now what the issue was. However, I revered this lady and she was asking me to vote yes on a matter I had no position on anyway. So I called her and told her that due to her interest I would vote for the measure. I kept her note on my desk with the bill number referenced. Lo and behold, about halfway through the legislative session, I saw the bill on the special-order calendar for the day. I got primed for the vote. I voted for the bill simply because that lady had asked me to. To my amazement, I looked up at the large electronic vote tally machine and the bill passed by one vote.
One vote can make a difference.
Having told you that story, reminds me of my first year in the legislature. I was a young 30-year old representative representing Pike and Barbour counties. Like today, Wallace was passing a gas tax for roads and bridges. This was a common occurrence and expected during the Wallace era. He knew the people of Alabama didn’t even notice that their gasoline tax had been raised. However, they knew that Wallace had built them a four-lane highway in their county. He knew Alabama politics better than anybody in state history.
Another political legend, Big Jim Folsom, left an indelible legacy as governor with his legendary and necessary Farm-to-Market road program. Recently while making a speech in Dothan, I told the group this Big Jim story about their region. Big Jim was a native of the Wiregrass. As a young man, Big Jim was making a futile run for Congress in the Wiregrass. One day he was campaigning down a dirt country road in Geneva County. He met and befriended an old farmer and his wife at the end of the road. The couple gave Big Jim cold buttermilk to drink. Big Jim bonded with those folks on their front porch as he drank a gallon or two of buttermilk. As he was leaving the old farmer shouted out to his new friend, Big Jim, “Boy if you get elected to anything will you pave my road?” Big Jim smiled and said, “Sure I will.” Ten years later Big Jim got elected governor and guess which county road in the state got paved first? You are right, it was that road in Geneva County. They named it the Buttermilk Road.
For folks in the Wiregrass, guess who built the Ross Clark Circle around Dothan? You got it, Big Jim Folsom.
For any of you legislators that are reading, my advice to you is that your average constituent ain’t gonna know whether or not you voted for the state tax on gasoline. But, they are going to remember that highway or bridge you brought home to your county. If you play your cards right, you might even get it named after you.
Speaking of legislators, legendary Black Belt Legislator, Rick Manley, passed away in January. He represented Marengo County and the Black Belt for over 25 years in the House and Senate. He was one of the most able and effective legislative leaders in state history. He served as Chairman of both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. He was also Speaker Pro Tem of the House.
See you next week.
June 12, 2019 - Past Prominent State Legislators
The 2019 legislative session is now in the books. As each session is observed, it is apparent that primary, powerful, state senators control the flow and outcome of any and all legislative sessions.
Current Alabama State Senators Del Marsh, Jabo Waggoner, Greg Reed, and Arthur Orr wield immense influence.
This has been true throughout history. The annals of political history reveal powerful state senators. Some of the most prominent include: Roland Cooper, the “Wily Fox from Wilcox”, Joe Goodwyn of Montgomery, Walter Givhan of Dallas County, Ryan DeGraffenreid, Sr. of Tuscaloosa and later his son, Ryan, Jr. also of Tuscaloosa. The legendary state senator Bob Wilson, Sr. of Jasper was powerful in his day.
Jimmy Clark of Barbour as a Senator and Speaker of the House, the legendary Rankin Fite of Marion County, a Senator and Speaker of the House, Joe McCorquodale of Clarke County, who was Speaker for over a decade, Pete Turnham and Bo Torbert of Lee County, Rick Manley of Marengo was brilliant, Lowell Barron of Fyffe, Roger Bedford of Russellville, and Hank Sanders of Selma would be on the list along with former Speaker of the House, Seth Hammett of Covington County.
However, as powerful as all of the aforementioned were, perhaps the title of “Most Powerful Legislator” should go to State Senator James Titus of Madison. Almost all of you are scratching your head and saying who in the world is James Titus? Let me share with you the James Titus story and place in Alabama history.
When the Alabama territory was created by Congress in 1817, the Act provided that the new legislature would be made up of members of the Mississippi Territorial Legislature, who resided in what was to become Alabama. There were ten men serving in the Mississippi House of Representatives and three in the Senate. Before the new Legislature convened at St. Stephens in January, 1818, one of these senators had resigned and a second was unable to attend the session. Only James Titus was present for that first legislative session.
Some men might have been reluctant to conduct business under the circumstances, but not James Titus. He had not made the long journey from Huntsville to St. Stephens for nothing and he took his responsibilities seriously. He called the Senate to order, called the roll, organized the Senate, nominated and elected himself as presiding officer, voted on all bills and at the end of the day, made the motion to adjourn. He was in essence a one-man senate.
Folks, there have been powerful legislators in our colorful and illustrious political history, but none will ever have the power that Senator Titus had.
Speaking of powerful senators, our Senior U.S. Senator Richard Shelby has reached a pinnacle unsurpassed in Alabama political history. In March Senator Shelby passed the legendary Senator John Sparkman for length of service in the United States Senate from Alabama. Shelby has now served 32-years and five months. Sparkman’s record was 32 years and three months.
In my 2015 book, “Of Goats and Governors: Six Decades of Colorful Alabama Political Stories,” I have a chapter entitled Alabama’s three greatest U.S. Senators. Senators Lister Hill, John Sparkman and Richard Shelby have been the greatest. However, if I were writing the chapter today, Shelby would be in a league of his own as Alabama’s most powerful senator in Alabama History.
Senators Hill and Sparkman were powerful and left a legacy. Hill’s is in medical research and rural hospitals throughout the nation and Alabama. Sparkman was the father of the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville and delivered hallmark legislation that afforded housing for Americans as Chairman of the Banking and Housing Committee.
Senator Shelby, over his 32-plus years in the Senate has chaired the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, Intelligence Committee, and Rules Committee. However, his current perch as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee is unparalleled. Alabama has never had a Chairman of the United States Senate Appropriations Committee, and more than likely never will again.
Meanwhile, the race for the 2020 U.S. Senate is developing very slowly. The Republican field is smaller than what was expected at this point. If someone is going to run they better go ahead and get going. The primaries are just around the corner in early March of next year.
The only serious announced candidates thus far are 1st District Congressman Bradley Byrne and former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville.
See you next week.
June 5, 2019 - Legends of Girls State
For almost 100 years one of, if not the best annual event for young Alabama High School leaders in Alabama has been the Alabama Boys State and the Alabama Girls State programs.
These events are sponsored by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxillary. Boys State and Girls State are sponsored nationwide by the American Legion. The programs epitomize the American Legion’s mission to honor those who have bought us our American freedom.
The Girls State and Boys State programs brings the brightest high school leaders together every June. These young Alabama leaders will be Alabama’s governmental leaders in the future.
During the week-long session these high school rising seniors develop leadership skills and action-based understanding of the governmental process that gives them a lasting foundation for success both professionally and personally.
Boys State has spawned Alabama’s governmental leaders for decades. I attended Boys State 50-years ago this month. I remember it like it was yesterday. It is a lifetime memory. You make friends that last throughout life and have resurfaced my entire life. One of my contemporaries from Boys State, who became a lifetime friend, is current Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, Tom Parker.
Now that women have taken their rightful place in Alabama governmental positions, it is appropriate that our top two female leaders in Alabama got their start at Alabama Girls State. Governor Kay Ivey and BCA CEO Katie Britt were leaders at Girls State. Katie Britt, who was young Katie Boyd, has always been an outstanding leader. Katie became Governor of Girls State.
Kay Ivey has stayed extremely active as a Board member and Director of Girls State ever since her years at Auburn University. She has volunteered as a counselor for over 50 years. She loves Girls State. In fact, when these young female leaders meet next week at the University of Alabama for the 79th time, Kay will address them as their Governor and fellow Girls Stater.
These young women leaders will organize and assume the roles of government leaders. They will campaign in mock parties called the “Federalists” and “Nationalists.” They will divide up in cities and become mayors and county officials. Then others will have bigger roles as state constitutional officers and Supreme Court Judges. One will become Governor. She and the Lt. Governor will go to Washington D.C. to attend Girls Nation. They may even run for President of Girls Nation.
Governor Ivey has mentored several Girls State leaders over the years. Lee Grant Sellers, “Mrs.” Girls State, was an outstanding leader from Montgomery. She is now the 18-year Director of Alabama’s Girls State. Lee’s husband, Will Sellers, currently sits on the Alabama Supreme Court. By the way, Lee and Will are Kay Ivey’s closest friends and confidants.
We have had a President of Girls Nation mentored by Governor Kay Ivey, Cathy Johnson Randall. Kay bonded with Cathy through Girls State. Cathy has been one of the most outstanding leaders in Alabama over the past 50 years. She headed Kay Ivey’s Gubernatorial Inauguration Committee.
I knew Cathy as a student at the University of Alabama. She was by far the most respected leader on campus, male or female. She was president of everything on campus. While at the University, she was a Chi Omega, a Crimson Girl, SGA Senator and ODK, and a member of Mortar Board.
After graduation from the Capstone, she married Pettus Randall from Tuscaloosa, thus becoming Cathy Johnson Randall. Upon his death she became the Chairman of the Board of Randall Holdings. She is also on the Board of the Alabama Power Company and Mercedes Benz.
While in high School, Cathy Johnson Randall was elected Governor of Girls State and then went on to become President of Girls Nation. Believe it or not, her husband Pettus, was Boys State Governor and Boys Nation President. Furthermore, she and Pettus had a daughter who was Governor of Girls State and President of Girls Nation.
See you next week.
May 29, 2019 - An Act of Congress
A good many people wonder why simple, straightforward, no nonsense, good- government legislation fails to pass even though it appears to have universal and overwhelming support and appeal for many voters and legislators.
You will recall old sayings that you heard from your elders when you were young. Old bits of wisdom spouted from the lips of your grandparents and older folks, which went in one ear and out the other. Sayings like, “If you’ve got your health you’ve got everything” and “If it ain’t broke then don’t fix it”; and, if you are a golfer there is no truer euphuism than, “You drive for show and putt for dough,” and “it ain’t how you drive its how you arrive.” The older you get, it occurs to you how wise these old adages are in actual life. They are golden facts.
One of the sage morsels pertains to getting something accomplished. You say, “It takes an act of Congress to get that done.” In politics, there is no clearer truism. It is really hard to pass a piece of legislation through Congress and it is just as equally difficult to channel a bill through the labyrinth of legislative approval in Alabama.
Ask any successful lobbyist or legislator which side they would rather be on in legislative wars. They much prefer to be against something than trying to pass a bill. It is probably 100 times harder to steer a bill through legislative approval than it is to kill a bill. The Alabama Senate Rules or such that if a handful of the 35 Senators are adamantly opposed to something then they can kill the bill. If the right Senator is against it, if for example he is Chairman of the Rules Committee and he wants it killed, it is dead.
It does not matter if the proposed legislation is as all American as a proposal or legislation saying the legislature is in favor of apple pie and motherhood. The bill has to go before both House and Senate committees, win approval, and not get an amendment put on it. If an amendment on is added, the bill basically has to start all over again. Then it has to get placed on the special order calendar set by the Rules Committee. There are hundreds of bills waiting to get on this calendar but only a few bills make it on the calendar each day. There are only 30 legislative days in the session. If a bill gets on the calendar, it then has to pass both houses. Then, hopefully, the governor is also for apple pie and motherhood, because if she vetoes the bill, it has to start all over again.
Let me give you an example of a piece of apple pie and motherhood legislation I was asked to sponsor when I was a freshman legislator. There was a quirk in Alabama Criminal Law that allowed the family of a criminal defendant to be in the court room in a criminal trial and sit behind the criminal and observe and cry on behalf of their relative. However, unbelievably the family of the crime victim could not be in the court room. The Victims of Crime Leniency (VOCAL) sought to correct this injustice. VOCAL asked me to sponsor its bill and work for its passage. I worked diligently on the bill. The press gave me and the bill glowing editorials for its fairness. We got the bill out of the House. It passed overwhelmingly. However, when it got to the Senate it was assigned, rightfully so, to the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator Earl Hilliard from Jefferson County. He was opposed to the bill and as Chairman of the Committee, he deep sixed it and would not let it out. No amount of haranguing from the VOCAL people or bad press would budge Earl. However, one day I was on the floor of the House and the VOCAL leader, Mrs. Miriam Shehane, called me out to the lobby. She said Earl was sick and would not be in Montgomery today and the Senate Judiciary Committee was meeting and the Vice Chairman will bring our bill up out of order. We quickly went to the 6th floor and whisked our bill out of order of the Judiciary Committee and it won final approval in the Senate a few weeks later and it became law.
Remember old truisms like, “It will take an act of Congress to get something done,” is very accurate, especially in politics.
See you next week.
May 22, 2019 - Road Rage and Deer Hunting Bills Take Center Stage in Legislature
Over 20 years ago when I was a legislator the State Trooper assigned to my county asked if he could come visit with me. “Of course,” I said. When he came he had a somber look on his face. I thought maybe he had a serious personal problem or had lost a loved one.
He began, “This may not sound like a major highway problem, but one of the things that causes a good many accidents and incidents on our roads is people driving slow in the left lane and not moving over.” I never pursued legislation to this effect. However, he made me aware of the need to remedy this problem.
Well, finally, a legislator has taken up this legislation. Rep. Phillip Pettus, a Republican from Lauderdale County, who by the way retired as a captain in the Alabama State Troopers after a 25-year career, has passed legislation to remedy this problem. He calls his Bill, “The Anti-Road Rage Act.”
The Bill would prohibit drivers from staying in the left most lane on interstates for more than a mile and a half without passing another vehicle. Pettus explained, “People get ill when they come up behind people driving slow in the left lane and they are wanting to get by. Interstates were set up for the movement of traffic. This will make interstate traffic move better if the said road rage causes more wrecks than accident records would indicate, like when angry drivers cut in front of another vehicle and cause that vehicle to run off the road.” The House has passed the Bill on a 61-24 vote. It awaits action in the Senate.
It has been 20 years since I was in the Legislature, and during the entire time I was there we had a perennial issue that would surface every year; whether or not to let deer hunters hunt deer with dogs. Today the issue has evolved into whether or not to allow hunters to use bait to attract deer. This Bill has become an annual debate in the Legislature. Both sides are ardent and take their deer hunting seriously. Well it looks like the baiters have finally won. Rep. Danny Crawford (R-Limestone) has passed legislation that gives hunters the option of hunting over bait. The bill passed overwhelmingly in both chambers.
The deer hunting issue has been around forever. During the 1950’s and 60’s there was a legendary legislative sage named Rankin Fite of Marion County. Ole Rankin had been in the Legislature a long time. He was actually Speaker of the House well into the 1970’s when the first Ethic Laws were passed. Rankin was one of only six House members to vote against the Ethics Law. After the vote the media asked the former Speaker why he voted against the Ethics Law. He wryly replied, “It wasn’t tough enough.” He further pontificated this advice, “I voted for every tax, voting for taxes won’t beat you.” “I just voted against the Ethics Bill, voting against ethics won’t beat you.” “The issues you need to avoid are voting on daylight savings time or hunting deer with dogs.”
Gov. Kay Ivey has done a good job with her judicial appointments throughout the state. In 2017, she appointed Circuit Judge Brad Mendheim of Dothan to the Supreme Court to fill a vacancy. Mendheim is a very well qualified jurist to sit on the state’s highest judicial tribunal. Mendheim is extremely well liked and respected in his native Houston County.
In the 2018 elections, Mendheim lost a close election to Judge Sarah Stewart of Mobile. Gov. Ivey wisely reappointed Mendheim to the Court in the place of Justice Tom Parker who was elected Chief Justice.
Former Chief Justice Lynn Stuart, who Tom Parker replaced, has taken a seat on the State Ethics Commission. Judge Stuart was a Baldwin County Judge for 12 years prior to being elected to the Supreme Court in 2000. She served 18 years on the Supreme Court. Her term on the Ethics Commission is for four years, through August of 2023.
Gov. Ivey has set the Special Election dates for the seat of Dimitri Polizos in Montgomery. Dimitri, a popular restaurateur in the Capital City, died in March. The first primary is June 11 with a runoff on August 27. It is a Republican seat, which has drawn a crowded field of candidates.
See you next week.
May 15, 2019 - Infrastructure Package Passage will be Hallmark of Success for Governor Kay Ivey and the Legislature
The five day Special Legislative Session that addressed the increase in the gas tax to fund an Infrastructure Rebuilding Program for the state was a remarkable success. I still marvel at the adroitness, efficiency and expediency in which the governor accomplished this monumental initiative. She called for a Special Session on the night of her State of the State address and within one week it was signed, sealed, and delivered.
I have seen some successful special sessions in my lifetime of watching Alabama politics. However, I have never seen anything like this. George Wallace used Special Sessions continuously and regularly during his 20-year reign as King of Alabama politics. He got things accomplished this way. It is the way to go to crystalize the importance of an issue.
Kay Ivey’s success made Wallace’s hardball ploys look minor league. She got her mission accomplished in the minimum five days. It was an amazing success story that will be told in political circles for years.
She did her homework. She dug in and made it clear that infrastructure improvement was a must for Alabama. She had a plan, she worked it and she won and the people of Alabama won.
She was not doing it for self-serving reasons nor was she doing it to secure her place in history. However, I am here to tell you as an Alabama political historian, she earned a place in my book. She has earned her spurs and earned the name “Governor.” She showed her leadership and the title Gov. Kay Ivey.
Gov. Ivey was astute to address the issue in a Special Session within the Regular Session for several reasons. In a Special Session, Legislators have to address only the issue the governor calls them in for. By calling for the concentrated Special Session within the Regular Session it did not cost taxpayers any more. It also got them around the 3/5 vote needed to bring a bill up before the budgets which is required in the Regular Session.
Her ability to reach across the aisle and garner Democratic support for passage of the program was noteworthy. She brought in all of the Democratic legislative leaders. She sat down with them and diligently worked to explain how important this agenda was to not only their constituents, but to the entire state.
Her reaching out to them was not only important for passage of this package, but it built the foundation for a successful and harmonious working relationship with all the members of the Legislature which has been missing for over a decade.
The relationships Kay developed with state senators as presiding officer of the Senate for six years paid off with not only the Republican leadership but also with Democratic leaders like Bobby Singleton.
She forged new friendships with both Republican and Democratic legislators in the House. She worked hard and developed a close working relationship with House Democratic leader, Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville), who is a bright young star. This friendship will be good going forward for Ivey and the state.
Rep. Bill Poole (R-Tuscaloosa) was the leader in the House that worked closely with Gov. Kay Ivey to align the stars for passage. Poole drafted the Bill, helped devise the strategy and fought for passage. He is probably the only House sponsor who could pull it off. Senator Clyde Chambliss did a brilliant job in the Senate. Both Poole and Chambliss are young with bright paths ahead in Alabama politics.
Expanding access to broadband internet in rural Alabama has been one of the cornerstone issues for Gov. Ivey and the legislature the last few years. This access to broadband today is as important as getting electricity was 60-75 years ago.
This initiative has moved to the forefront for passage as the session evolves. The magic formula for success is engrossed in House Bill 400. This legislation would logically and effectively allow electric utilities to use their existing infrastructure to run broadband to areas that do not have service today.
Opposition has arisen from big cable companies for obvious self-serving reasons. To allow these large out-of-state companies to thwart the passage of this important piece of legislation would be bad for the state. The need to run new fiber optic lines at great expense would make the initiative almost cost prohibitive.
Regardless, the cable companies and AT&T are working to kill this logical plan to extend broadband internet service to all Alabamians. They are also using some unsavory tactics in their attempt to kill Gov. Ivey’s initiative. Hopefully, their transparent efforts to derail this important legislation will be ignored by legislators who want what is best for Alabama.
See you next week.
May 8, 2019 - Senator Richard Shelby Turns 85 this week. He is an Alabama Treasure with Legendary Prowess at Unlocking the U.S. Treasury for Alabama
Our Senior U.S. Senator, Richard Shelby, turns 85 this week. In March he reached another milestone – he surpassed Senator John Sparkman as the longest serving U.S. Senator in Alabama history. Shelby has been our senator for 32 plus years.
Alabama has a treasure in Richard Shelby. He is not only the longest serving U.S. Senator in Alabama history, he is also the most successful U.S. Senator in Alabama history. During his illustrious tenure, Senator Shelby has chaired the Senate Banking Committee, Intelligence Committee and Rules Committee. However, his current perch as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee is unparalleled.
He has brought home the bacon during his five six-year terms like no one in history. However, in his sixth six-year term it’s Katie bar the door. In addition to chairing the Appropriations Committee, he also retained the Chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations. It is through this channel that he has pumped immense federal money into the Heart of Dixie in last year’s budget alone. It is staggering. It is almost unimaginable.
However, get this, in the Fort Rucker budget alone Senator Shelby carved out an additional $95 million for future vertical lift research, which will help accelerate development of helicopters flown at Fort Rucker; $10 million to up-grade Navy MH-60 Seahawk helicopters; $1 billion for THAAD missiles: $111 million for long range anti-ship missiles; $306 million for JAG missiles; $484 million for Hellfire missiles, which are made in Troy and used for training at Fort Rucker; $254 million for Javelin missiles for the Army and Marine Corps; and $663 million for Joint Air-Surface Standoff missiles, which recently made their debut in strikes on Syria in response to their use of chemical weapons.
Sen. Shelby has bestowed a largess of grants on UAB for medical research over the years. However, he recognizes the possibility of explosive growth in the Huntsville area. The Redstone Arsenal is reaping the rewards of Senator Shelby’s prowess and influence. The amount of money our senior senator is putting into North Alabama is mind boggling: in Army research $11 billion for instruments in transformational technologies to address future Army needs; $10.4 billion for missile defense; $664 million for hypersonic research; $184 million for Directed Energy; $306 million for Cyber Research; and $200 million for Space Launch vehicles.
Of all the things that Sen. Shelby has procured for Alabama, specifically the Huntsville area, his Hallmark legacy may be securing the placement of one of the largest FBI facilities in America. Huntsville will eventually be second only to Washington D.C. for the FBI.
The FBI’s investment in Huntsville could reach $1 billion. Initially 1,350 jobs will be transferred from Washington to North Alabama. The Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville already includes a U.S. Army Base as well as NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Folks these 1,350 to 1,500 Federal FBI jobs all pay more than the average Alabama salary. The Huntsville metro area is poised to grow more size wise and economically than any area of America in the next decade in no small part to Senator Richard Shelby.
He has almost four years left on his 6th term, 44 months to be exact. He is in excellent health, physically and mentally. Most Alabamians hope and pray he runs again in 2022. However, he will be 88.
If Senator Shelby does not run, who might follow him? He might be involved in picking his successor. He is convinced that someone young should be his heir. He realizes the importance of youth and how it predicates future seniority.
First on most lists is State Rep. Bill Poole, who like Shelby hails from Tuscaloosa. He is only 42-years old but has served in the legislature for nine years, most of his time as Chairman of the House Education Budget Committee. He is the most respected member of the House. His adroit handling of the Infrastructure Package had many longtime Statehouse observers labeling him as having future governor or senator written all over him.
Another name to remember is 37-year old Katie Boyd Britt. She is Shelby’s former Chief of Staff and current CEO of the Business Council of Alabama.
See you next week.