December 2011 Newsletter
I hope everyone enjoyed a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! I'm a few days late in posting this month’s newsletter for a couple of reasons…first, I wanted to be able to say “Roll Tide” to fans of the 2012 National Champions! Congratulations to the University of Alabama and the State of Alabama for keeping the crystal trophy in our great state. I’m not so much of an Alabama fan as I’m an SEC fan. Most readers know that I was born in Arkansas and follow the Razorbacks but as my oldest daughter (and money) go to Alabama - let’s just say it has been easier to say “Roll Tide”…I can almost do it with a straight face now! And for the Auburn fans, our youngest daughter has mentioned she would like to attend Auburn University. She has a couple of years to figure that out but I’ve told her the same as I did my oldest…”we don’t mind where you go, just so long as it is in state tuition.”
Another reason the newsletter is late is that I wanted to share the breakdown of my 2011 Legislative Pay. I received the end-of-year breakdown in the mail earlier this month and share it, along with comments on Legislative Compensation, later in the newsletter. The 2012 Legislative session starts on February 7th and I will resume the daily blog postings at that time.
Now for the December Newsletter Topics:
Madison County Legislative Delegation Forum – The annual Madison County Legislative Delegation Forum will be held at the Huntsville City Hall on January 23rd at 7 PM. We had a great turnout at the Limestone County Legislative Delegation Forum held at Athens State University in early December.
Money for the Classroom – As the parent of a student attending public schools I’m well aware of the challenges our teachers face, among them is providing sufficient classroom supplies. I’ll admit that I’m often taken aback by the amount we personally spend at the start of each school year on required supplies (folders, binders, paper, pens, etc.) I also know there are other children in our community who need support and I’m thankful for the many organizations that continually help out with school supply drives. I’m saddened to think of the children who show up for the first day of school without the minimal supplies for education. Funding for classroom supplies has been an easy target for budget cuts in years past. We all know teachers need classroom supplies and I do not think they should have to purchase classroom supplies with their personal funds. In the 2007 state budget, each teacher received about $500 for classroom supplies. This was cut in 2008 and ultimately reduced to zero in both the 2010 and 2011 school years.
Although it was never widely reported, the new, Republican controlled legislature restored funding for 2011, about $135 per teacher to buy supplies in the 2012 budget year. I will continue to support funding for the classroom and am thankful that some school systems are able to provide local funding on top of state funding to the classroom. Together, with state support, local support and through volunteer contributions such as school supply drives, we will be able to provide our teachers and students the tools needed in the classroom.
Retirement Systems of Alabama – I’ve received a couple of emails asking my position on legislation to politicize the role of the RSA Executive Director. I do not support this legislation…but please, keep reading. As I understand it, the director reports to a board elected by the members of RSA – those who paid into or are currently paying into the retirement system. The people elect the board and the board holds the director accountable.
That being said, my biggest concerns are – is the board holding the director accountable and what is the long term viability of the RSA investment performance. By law the State is required to cover retirement shortfalls – the State (read taxpayers) contributes more money to keep the pension plans financially healthy when return percentages fall, and we pay less when return levels rise. This safety net allows RSA to operate, to some degree without regard for risk and return – as clearly evidenced in the recent reports by Alabama newspapers criticizing RSA performance (State Employees' Retirement System, Teacher Retirement Fund and another detailed article with charts). I will support action to limit the taxpayer provided safety net that essentially covers the gap in RSA investment returns. This is a part of the problem - with that safety net removed, the people who elect the board and the board itself will become much more involved with RSA performance. The end result should be better performance and thus a reduced need for subsidy from the taxpayers for RSA.
State Budget Concerns – Like most states across the nation, the biggest problem looming over Alabama is our state budgets. As we prepare for the 2012 session and the budget hearings, preliminarily numbers reflect the General Fund is short approximately $400M and the Education Trust Fund is short approximately $100M. We all know there are no easy decisions to be made when it comes to budget cuts but the state must do as each of our households are doing during these extraordinary economic times – live within our means. As we move forward, I will share details through the newsletter and blog on my support of, or opposition to, state budget decisions.
As an example of living within our means - in 2011 each Senator received $5,400 for their "office operations". These funds could be used for mailings (such as Christmas cards), furniture, etc. At the end of the year I returned $4,274 to the Pro-Tem's Office which I'm told was returned to the General Fund...and our office operations didn't miss a beat. It's not that I didn't want to send you a Christmas card, it's just that I didn't think you wanted me to send you a card using your taxes - so I didn't. I also furnished my office with a desk, chair, sofa and rug from our home. I'll continue to work as someone who I would have elected to represent me - someone who strives to be fiscally conservative (this note was added on Jan 11th, the day after the newsletter was posted).
Update on Grocery Tax Comments – I solicited feedback on the proposed Grocery Tax in last month’s newsletter. I want to thank everyone who provided feedback and I cannot stress how important it is for me to hear from you!
I received several emails and the very unscientific results show 80% were in favor of leaving the tax as is (particularly if it meant raising the tax on other items as proposed in the pre-filed bill). 20% of respondents were in favor of removing the tax and recommended raising property taxes or removing the income tax deduction. One recommendation suggested slowly removing the tax over an 8 – 10 year period, as opposed to the four year period proposed in the pre-filed bill. I remain open-minded on this initiative but will not support a “shell game” of moving the tax burden around.
Immigration Law Update – This has become a routine topic in the newsletter. I’ll hit on a couple of quick points:
Desired intent achieved - The US Supreme Court announced that it will take up the Arizona Immigration Law in 2012. Since the beginning, this has been my end-game. As stated repeatedly in my blog in 2011 and at local public meetings, the last thing America needs is a patch-work quilt of 50 individual state laws on immigration. What we need (and have needed for years) is the Federal Government to enforce immigration laws. We also need immigration reform to expedite the process by which someone legally comes into America to work under a work visa – reduce the red tape and bureaucracy. Of course this has to happen at the federal level and this issue is finally at center stage with the Supreme Court. By proxy, Alabama’s immigration law will also be a part of the process. Of note - the Supreme Court’s decision is not expected until late summer/early fall. The 2012 Alabama Legislative session will end in late May, well before a Supreme Court decision is due. With that in mind, I will support little if any changes (i.e., administratively only) to the Immigration Law that was passed in 2011.
Letter of Support Signed by Republican Senators – this letter received little if any press attention but I wanted to share that 12 Republican Senators SIGNED a letter expressing support of the immigration law to Governor Bentley in early December. I initiated the letter after the press reported a single Democrat Senator stated that he had verbal support from all of his colleagues to repeal the law. I wanted signatures; just something about signing your name to a document...and 12 of us did so. Apparently this was not as newsworthy as one Democrat saying he has support to repeal the law. Amazing what we don't read in the papers.
What does a Senator Get Paid? As we wrap up 2011, I wanted to share details on legislative pay. Regular readers of my newsletter and blog know that I strive to be transparent in all matters. With that in mind I’ve provided a copy of my pay stub for 2011 below. As a State Senator I grossed $52,936 in 2011; net was $37,896.
Another reason the newsletter is late is that I wanted to share the breakdown of my 2011 Legislative Pay. I received the end-of-year breakdown in the mail earlier this month and share it, along with comments on Legislative Compensation, later in the newsletter. The 2012 Legislative session starts on February 7th and I will resume the daily blog postings at that time.
Now for the December Newsletter Topics:
Madison County Legislative Delegation Forum – The annual Madison County Legislative Delegation Forum will be held at the Huntsville City Hall on January 23rd at 7 PM. We had a great turnout at the Limestone County Legislative Delegation Forum held at Athens State University in early December.
Money for the Classroom – As the parent of a student attending public schools I’m well aware of the challenges our teachers face, among them is providing sufficient classroom supplies. I’ll admit that I’m often taken aback by the amount we personally spend at the start of each school year on required supplies (folders, binders, paper, pens, etc.) I also know there are other children in our community who need support and I’m thankful for the many organizations that continually help out with school supply drives. I’m saddened to think of the children who show up for the first day of school without the minimal supplies for education. Funding for classroom supplies has been an easy target for budget cuts in years past. We all know teachers need classroom supplies and I do not think they should have to purchase classroom supplies with their personal funds. In the 2007 state budget, each teacher received about $500 for classroom supplies. This was cut in 2008 and ultimately reduced to zero in both the 2010 and 2011 school years.
Although it was never widely reported, the new, Republican controlled legislature restored funding for 2011, about $135 per teacher to buy supplies in the 2012 budget year. I will continue to support funding for the classroom and am thankful that some school systems are able to provide local funding on top of state funding to the classroom. Together, with state support, local support and through volunteer contributions such as school supply drives, we will be able to provide our teachers and students the tools needed in the classroom.
Retirement Systems of Alabama – I’ve received a couple of emails asking my position on legislation to politicize the role of the RSA Executive Director. I do not support this legislation…but please, keep reading. As I understand it, the director reports to a board elected by the members of RSA – those who paid into or are currently paying into the retirement system. The people elect the board and the board holds the director accountable.
That being said, my biggest concerns are – is the board holding the director accountable and what is the long term viability of the RSA investment performance. By law the State is required to cover retirement shortfalls – the State (read taxpayers) contributes more money to keep the pension plans financially healthy when return percentages fall, and we pay less when return levels rise. This safety net allows RSA to operate, to some degree without regard for risk and return – as clearly evidenced in the recent reports by Alabama newspapers criticizing RSA performance (State Employees' Retirement System, Teacher Retirement Fund and another detailed article with charts). I will support action to limit the taxpayer provided safety net that essentially covers the gap in RSA investment returns. This is a part of the problem - with that safety net removed, the people who elect the board and the board itself will become much more involved with RSA performance. The end result should be better performance and thus a reduced need for subsidy from the taxpayers for RSA.
State Budget Concerns – Like most states across the nation, the biggest problem looming over Alabama is our state budgets. As we prepare for the 2012 session and the budget hearings, preliminarily numbers reflect the General Fund is short approximately $400M and the Education Trust Fund is short approximately $100M. We all know there are no easy decisions to be made when it comes to budget cuts but the state must do as each of our households are doing during these extraordinary economic times – live within our means. As we move forward, I will share details through the newsletter and blog on my support of, or opposition to, state budget decisions.
As an example of living within our means - in 2011 each Senator received $5,400 for their "office operations". These funds could be used for mailings (such as Christmas cards), furniture, etc. At the end of the year I returned $4,274 to the Pro-Tem's Office which I'm told was returned to the General Fund...and our office operations didn't miss a beat. It's not that I didn't want to send you a Christmas card, it's just that I didn't think you wanted me to send you a card using your taxes - so I didn't. I also furnished my office with a desk, chair, sofa and rug from our home. I'll continue to work as someone who I would have elected to represent me - someone who strives to be fiscally conservative (this note was added on Jan 11th, the day after the newsletter was posted).
Update on Grocery Tax Comments – I solicited feedback on the proposed Grocery Tax in last month’s newsletter. I want to thank everyone who provided feedback and I cannot stress how important it is for me to hear from you!
I received several emails and the very unscientific results show 80% were in favor of leaving the tax as is (particularly if it meant raising the tax on other items as proposed in the pre-filed bill). 20% of respondents were in favor of removing the tax and recommended raising property taxes or removing the income tax deduction. One recommendation suggested slowly removing the tax over an 8 – 10 year period, as opposed to the four year period proposed in the pre-filed bill. I remain open-minded on this initiative but will not support a “shell game” of moving the tax burden around.
Immigration Law Update – This has become a routine topic in the newsletter. I’ll hit on a couple of quick points:
Desired intent achieved - The US Supreme Court announced that it will take up the Arizona Immigration Law in 2012. Since the beginning, this has been my end-game. As stated repeatedly in my blog in 2011 and at local public meetings, the last thing America needs is a patch-work quilt of 50 individual state laws on immigration. What we need (and have needed for years) is the Federal Government to enforce immigration laws. We also need immigration reform to expedite the process by which someone legally comes into America to work under a work visa – reduce the red tape and bureaucracy. Of course this has to happen at the federal level and this issue is finally at center stage with the Supreme Court. By proxy, Alabama’s immigration law will also be a part of the process. Of note - the Supreme Court’s decision is not expected until late summer/early fall. The 2012 Alabama Legislative session will end in late May, well before a Supreme Court decision is due. With that in mind, I will support little if any changes (i.e., administratively only) to the Immigration Law that was passed in 2011.
Letter of Support Signed by Republican Senators – this letter received little if any press attention but I wanted to share that 12 Republican Senators SIGNED a letter expressing support of the immigration law to Governor Bentley in early December. I initiated the letter after the press reported a single Democrat Senator stated that he had verbal support from all of his colleagues to repeal the law. I wanted signatures; just something about signing your name to a document...and 12 of us did so. Apparently this was not as newsworthy as one Democrat saying he has support to repeal the law. Amazing what we don't read in the papers.
What does a Senator Get Paid? As we wrap up 2011, I wanted to share details on legislative pay. Regular readers of my newsletter and blog know that I strive to be transparent in all matters. With that in mind I’ve provided a copy of my pay stub for 2011 below. As a State Senator I grossed $52,936 in 2011; net was $37,896.
I intend to be an advocate for the legislature to address legislative compensation during the upcoming 2012 session. Senator Phil Williams has pre-filed a bill to create a legislative pay commission in the 2012 session. I supported his bill in the 2011 session and will do so again in 2012. I fully support this measure as we must establish a fair, transparent way to compensate legislators for the work they do, year round.
If we do not provide for fair compensation, we will end up with one of two things. A legislature comprised of independently wealthy Alabamians - who are potentially out of touch with those they represent, or a legislature full of Alabamians who prostitute their vote to special interest groups. Neither are good for the people of Alabama.
Some interesting facts about legislative pay – all legislators (House or Senate) are paid at the same rate…Senators represent about 135,000 constituents while House members represent about 45,000. Legislators who live in Montgomery, commuting 5 miles to the Capitol and sleeping at home each night are paid the same as legislators who drive hundreds of miles round trip and pay for a hotel room each night. You won’t read about this in mainstream media but before we passed the sweeping ethics reform package in 2010, lobbyist routinely picked up the tab for legislators' hotel rooms. Yes, we banned that.
In other words, our gas to and from Montgomery (I logged just under 18,000 miles in 2011), lodging and meals all comes out of our legislative pay. You’ll also note that there is no withholding for retirement or insurance on the pay stub - that’s because they are not offered to legislators…and I would not support legislators participating in these benefits supported by taxpayers.
What’s not shown on the pay stub is the annual legislative cost of living increase that I declined. This was created with the controversial legislative pay raise in 2007, an automatic raise tied to the Consumer Price Index. In 2011 this was $792 a year; I declined that increase in a letter to the Secretary of the Senate in 2011 and will do so again in 2012. Lastly, making good on a promise in June of 2011 as a result of the 2.5% increase in state employee contribution to their retirement fund, I reduced my pay by 2.5% as well, approx $102 a month.
My position to not support an outright repeal of the legislative pay increase passed in 2007 remains the same. This is old news to those that followed me in the campaign but as background for new readers; I willingly left my job as a government employee at NASA in the summer of 2009 to campaign for the Senate. I was forced to make that decision due to the Hatch Act which prohibits a government employee from participating in partisan politics. I had to make a choice – do I want to be a government employee or do I want to be a candidate for the State Senate? I was one of the very early candidates to announce; our strategy was to build name recognition in the early days and we campaigned for 14 straight months...my wife said I was unemployed, I said I was a full time candidate!
Seriously, prior to making that decision we carefully analyzed our personal financial situation. I knew a legislator made about $50K annually and determined that I could sacrifice the loss of over $20K to our annual household income when I left NASA. My decision to become a candidate would have been different had the loss been greater.
To address the “Part Time Job” comments that I occasionally hear – “You guys have a part-time job, the legislature is only in session three months out of the year” - I starting logging my hours via an Android App (Time Sheet, reported in the August newsletter) and have logged the following hours as legislative time shown in the table below. I log my time in three categories: Travel, Meetings, and Administrative Time. Meetings are self explanatory but for travel I only log travel in distances greater than 30 minutes such as trips to Montgomery or Birmingham. Shorter trips between Madison and Athens, or Madison and Huntsville are not captured. Admin includes emails and phone calls where I deliberately sit down and return emails, phone calls or research an item; incidental phone calls and quick, email replies are not captured.
If we do not provide for fair compensation, we will end up with one of two things. A legislature comprised of independently wealthy Alabamians - who are potentially out of touch with those they represent, or a legislature full of Alabamians who prostitute their vote to special interest groups. Neither are good for the people of Alabama.
Some interesting facts about legislative pay – all legislators (House or Senate) are paid at the same rate…Senators represent about 135,000 constituents while House members represent about 45,000. Legislators who live in Montgomery, commuting 5 miles to the Capitol and sleeping at home each night are paid the same as legislators who drive hundreds of miles round trip and pay for a hotel room each night. You won’t read about this in mainstream media but before we passed the sweeping ethics reform package in 2010, lobbyist routinely picked up the tab for legislators' hotel rooms. Yes, we banned that.
In other words, our gas to and from Montgomery (I logged just under 18,000 miles in 2011), lodging and meals all comes out of our legislative pay. You’ll also note that there is no withholding for retirement or insurance on the pay stub - that’s because they are not offered to legislators…and I would not support legislators participating in these benefits supported by taxpayers.
What’s not shown on the pay stub is the annual legislative cost of living increase that I declined. This was created with the controversial legislative pay raise in 2007, an automatic raise tied to the Consumer Price Index. In 2011 this was $792 a year; I declined that increase in a letter to the Secretary of the Senate in 2011 and will do so again in 2012. Lastly, making good on a promise in June of 2011 as a result of the 2.5% increase in state employee contribution to their retirement fund, I reduced my pay by 2.5% as well, approx $102 a month.
My position to not support an outright repeal of the legislative pay increase passed in 2007 remains the same. This is old news to those that followed me in the campaign but as background for new readers; I willingly left my job as a government employee at NASA in the summer of 2009 to campaign for the Senate. I was forced to make that decision due to the Hatch Act which prohibits a government employee from participating in partisan politics. I had to make a choice – do I want to be a government employee or do I want to be a candidate for the State Senate? I was one of the very early candidates to announce; our strategy was to build name recognition in the early days and we campaigned for 14 straight months...my wife said I was unemployed, I said I was a full time candidate!
Seriously, prior to making that decision we carefully analyzed our personal financial situation. I knew a legislator made about $50K annually and determined that I could sacrifice the loss of over $20K to our annual household income when I left NASA. My decision to become a candidate would have been different had the loss been greater.
To address the “Part Time Job” comments that I occasionally hear – “You guys have a part-time job, the legislature is only in session three months out of the year” - I starting logging my hours via an Android App (Time Sheet, reported in the August newsletter) and have logged the following hours as legislative time shown in the table below. I log my time in three categories: Travel, Meetings, and Administrative Time. Meetings are self explanatory but for travel I only log travel in distances greater than 30 minutes such as trips to Montgomery or Birmingham. Shorter trips between Madison and Athens, or Madison and Huntsville are not captured. Admin includes emails and phone calls where I deliberately sit down and return emails, phone calls or research an item; incidental phone calls and quick, email replies are not captured.
November 2011 Newsletter
I hope everyone enjoyed a Happy Thanksgiving. From my family to yours, let me be among the first to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! As we busy ourselves with the events of the season, I remind myself as much as readers of this newsletter to remember that He is the reason for the season. May God bless us all during this joyous time of year.
Local Legislative Forums – Two legislative forums have been scheduled prior to the start of the 2012 Legislative Session. The first is on December 6th at 6:30 PM for the Limestone County Legislative Delegation. This is the first time this forum has been held. The forum will be at the Sandridge Student Center Ballroom at Athens State University. The second forum is scheduled for January 23rd at 7 PM in Huntsville. This is the annual Madison County Legislative Delegation Forum that has been held for several years. The forum will be held in the Huntsville City Hall in the City Council Chambers.
Ethics Law and Christmas Gifts to Teachers – I blogged about this topic earlier in November (Good Old Common Sense) as a result of an article concerning the new ethics law and children giving gifts to teachers, which sparked a couple of emails. The Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB) sent a letter to superintendents, school board presidents and board attorneys across the state concerning this matter. In short the letter states: "Based on our conversations with ethics commission officials, we believe there is more latitude on the types of gifts permissible than some have indicated. We urge you to hold off on providing guidance until the commission meets."
The Ethics Commission is scheduled to meet again in early December to provide additional clarification on this topic. I’ll post a blog update at that time.
Removing State Sales Tax on Groceries – I’m interested in your thoughts on this upcoming legislation. As background, following are two articles, one from the Huntsville Times, the other from Birmingham News. I support removing the sales tax from food but obviously have a responsibility to “fill the gap” in lost revenue by doing so…that’s where things get sticky. I’m not warm to the proposed legislation which, over the course of four years, removes the 4% state sales tax from groceries but increases state sales tax on all other purchases by 2%; raising that tax rate to 6%. Alabama has taxed groceries for decades and it will be difficult to adjust the revenues (or further cut expenditures?) should we remove the tax from groceries but, as always, I’m keeping an open mind. Alabama remains one of two states that continues to tax food and I'm committed to correcting this - we just need to figure out how. Please email me your thoughts, ideas on tackling this issue.
Immigration Law Update – Several updates on the Immigration Law:
Will the Legislature Revisit the Law in the 2012 Session? Legislation has been pre-filed (SB41) to repeal the Immigration law by Senator Billy Beasley (D – Clayton) I won’t be supporting that. Other legislators have pre-filed bills to tweak a couple of sections administratively. I’m open to making administrative adjustments where needed but remind everyone that there is a big difference between tweaking and watering down. I will not water down this law.
Have the Doomsday Predictions Come True? Limestone County officials report the new law has not been the drain on resources that they originally thought it might be. Also, we can still renew our car tags on line in both Madisonand Limestone Counties.
Has the Immigration Law Resulted in Lower Unemployment Rates? It was reported last month that the unemployment rate has fallen in all 67 counties in Alabama. While I’ll admit it is too early to tell if this is solely a result of the new law – seasonal hires for the Christmas season likely had some impact – I’m certain we all agree the new law helped. The law passed in June but due to ongoing legal challenges, September was the first full month that the law was in force. State-wide, the unemployment rate fell from 9.8 percent in September to 9.3 percent in October. Of special mention, unemployment rates fell from 9.9 percent to 9 percent in Etowah County, from 8.8 percent to 8.1 percent in Marshall County, and from 11.6 percent to 10.6 percent in DeKalb County. These counties reportedly had some of the highest concentrations of illegal immigration populations.
And in case you missed it – Judge Myron Thompson (the same judge who presided over the Bingo Trail this summer) ruled in favor of a case by an illegal immigrant family who challenged a section of the law regarding a license permit for mobile homes. So, according to Judge Thompson it is okay to be in Alabama illegally and have a legal residence. Judge Thompson was a 1980 nominee to the Federal Courts by President Jimmy Carter. In other news, a German Auto Executive from Mercedes Benz was detained in Tuscaloosa for driving without his license; he was pulled over because the car did not have a tag on it - turns out he didn't have ANY ID on him. 11 Congressional members (for some reason, all Democrats) also traveled to Birmingham to hold a public hearing on the Immigration Law, and lastly the Department of Justice continues to dig for reasons to contest the law.
BUT - What do Alabamians think? Well, a survey conducted in early November by Capital Survey Research Center (the polling arm of the Alabama Education Association) polled 572 Alabama voters. The results: 39% want the bill left as is, 35% think it should be somewhat revised and 5% had no opinion; 21% said they want the law repealed. Also note the biased headline in the Birmingham News article linked above..."Majority want Alabama's new immigration law revised or repealed, survey shows". Hmmm, I read the results differently - 21% disagree with the law, 79% like it, want it revised or have no opinion. Gotta watch those news guys! Most interesting...we continue the uphill battle for all of the right reasons while those opposing the law throw everything at the wall, hoping something, anything will stick.
I’ll reiterate – This is not about race, this is about legal immigration. This has become a presidential debate issue and thankfully, is not going away. The illegal immigration issue should have been addressed decades ago and today, high level conversations are being held because of Alabama’s Immigration Law. Simply put - I welcome immigrants to America; it is the illegal immigrant part I have a problem with.
Taiwan Trip – I was honored to join our Lt. Governor, Kay Ivey as a member of a six state delegation to Taiwan on a cultural and trade mission from 11 – 19 November. The trip was paid for by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office and was pre-approved by the Alabama Ethics Commission. Other states joining us included representatives from Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. I was surprised to learn that Taiwan is Alabama's 11th largest trade partner. We met with several Cabinet Level Ministers and discussed the importance of trade relationships between Taiwan and the six southern states in the delegation. I will continue to work with the other state representatives to explore agriculture and tourism opportunities as a result of this trip. Additional pictures of the trip can be viewed at my Facebook page located here. Oh, guess what? I had to have a passport and visa to enter the country and I always carried my ID with me in Taiwan.
Local Legislative Forums – Two legislative forums have been scheduled prior to the start of the 2012 Legislative Session. The first is on December 6th at 6:30 PM for the Limestone County Legislative Delegation. This is the first time this forum has been held. The forum will be at the Sandridge Student Center Ballroom at Athens State University. The second forum is scheduled for January 23rd at 7 PM in Huntsville. This is the annual Madison County Legislative Delegation Forum that has been held for several years. The forum will be held in the Huntsville City Hall in the City Council Chambers.
Ethics Law and Christmas Gifts to Teachers – I blogged about this topic earlier in November (Good Old Common Sense) as a result of an article concerning the new ethics law and children giving gifts to teachers, which sparked a couple of emails. The Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB) sent a letter to superintendents, school board presidents and board attorneys across the state concerning this matter. In short the letter states: "Based on our conversations with ethics commission officials, we believe there is more latitude on the types of gifts permissible than some have indicated. We urge you to hold off on providing guidance until the commission meets."
The Ethics Commission is scheduled to meet again in early December to provide additional clarification on this topic. I’ll post a blog update at that time.
Removing State Sales Tax on Groceries – I’m interested in your thoughts on this upcoming legislation. As background, following are two articles, one from the Huntsville Times, the other from Birmingham News. I support removing the sales tax from food but obviously have a responsibility to “fill the gap” in lost revenue by doing so…that’s where things get sticky. I’m not warm to the proposed legislation which, over the course of four years, removes the 4% state sales tax from groceries but increases state sales tax on all other purchases by 2%; raising that tax rate to 6%. Alabama has taxed groceries for decades and it will be difficult to adjust the revenues (or further cut expenditures?) should we remove the tax from groceries but, as always, I’m keeping an open mind. Alabama remains one of two states that continues to tax food and I'm committed to correcting this - we just need to figure out how. Please email me your thoughts, ideas on tackling this issue.
Immigration Law Update – Several updates on the Immigration Law:
Will the Legislature Revisit the Law in the 2012 Session? Legislation has been pre-filed (SB41) to repeal the Immigration law by Senator Billy Beasley (D – Clayton) I won’t be supporting that. Other legislators have pre-filed bills to tweak a couple of sections administratively. I’m open to making administrative adjustments where needed but remind everyone that there is a big difference between tweaking and watering down. I will not water down this law.
Have the Doomsday Predictions Come True? Limestone County officials report the new law has not been the drain on resources that they originally thought it might be. Also, we can still renew our car tags on line in both Madisonand Limestone Counties.
Has the Immigration Law Resulted in Lower Unemployment Rates? It was reported last month that the unemployment rate has fallen in all 67 counties in Alabama. While I’ll admit it is too early to tell if this is solely a result of the new law – seasonal hires for the Christmas season likely had some impact – I’m certain we all agree the new law helped. The law passed in June but due to ongoing legal challenges, September was the first full month that the law was in force. State-wide, the unemployment rate fell from 9.8 percent in September to 9.3 percent in October. Of special mention, unemployment rates fell from 9.9 percent to 9 percent in Etowah County, from 8.8 percent to 8.1 percent in Marshall County, and from 11.6 percent to 10.6 percent in DeKalb County. These counties reportedly had some of the highest concentrations of illegal immigration populations.
And in case you missed it – Judge Myron Thompson (the same judge who presided over the Bingo Trail this summer) ruled in favor of a case by an illegal immigrant family who challenged a section of the law regarding a license permit for mobile homes. So, according to Judge Thompson it is okay to be in Alabama illegally and have a legal residence. Judge Thompson was a 1980 nominee to the Federal Courts by President Jimmy Carter. In other news, a German Auto Executive from Mercedes Benz was detained in Tuscaloosa for driving without his license; he was pulled over because the car did not have a tag on it - turns out he didn't have ANY ID on him. 11 Congressional members (for some reason, all Democrats) also traveled to Birmingham to hold a public hearing on the Immigration Law, and lastly the Department of Justice continues to dig for reasons to contest the law.
BUT - What do Alabamians think? Well, a survey conducted in early November by Capital Survey Research Center (the polling arm of the Alabama Education Association) polled 572 Alabama voters. The results: 39% want the bill left as is, 35% think it should be somewhat revised and 5% had no opinion; 21% said they want the law repealed. Also note the biased headline in the Birmingham News article linked above..."Majority want Alabama's new immigration law revised or repealed, survey shows". Hmmm, I read the results differently - 21% disagree with the law, 79% like it, want it revised or have no opinion. Gotta watch those news guys! Most interesting...we continue the uphill battle for all of the right reasons while those opposing the law throw everything at the wall, hoping something, anything will stick.
I’ll reiterate – This is not about race, this is about legal immigration. This has become a presidential debate issue and thankfully, is not going away. The illegal immigration issue should have been addressed decades ago and today, high level conversations are being held because of Alabama’s Immigration Law. Simply put - I welcome immigrants to America; it is the illegal immigrant part I have a problem with.
Taiwan Trip – I was honored to join our Lt. Governor, Kay Ivey as a member of a six state delegation to Taiwan on a cultural and trade mission from 11 – 19 November. The trip was paid for by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office and was pre-approved by the Alabama Ethics Commission. Other states joining us included representatives from Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. I was surprised to learn that Taiwan is Alabama's 11th largest trade partner. We met with several Cabinet Level Ministers and discussed the importance of trade relationships between Taiwan and the six southern states in the delegation. I will continue to work with the other state representatives to explore agriculture and tourism opportunities as a result of this trip. Additional pictures of the trip can be viewed at my Facebook page located here. Oh, guess what? I had to have a passport and visa to enter the country and I always carried my ID with me in Taiwan.
October 2011 District 2 Newsletter
Events and Meetings – It was another busy month and I was fortunate to attend and support several events and meetings across the district in October. Highlights include the Madison Street Festival in early October and the Athens Story Telling Festival in late October. I toured the Steelcase Facility in Athens and attended three ground breakings: the Carpenter Technology plant ($500 million, 400,000-square-foot faculty) in Athens, the Spring Hills Suites hotel ($9 million, four stories, 88 rooms) in the Village of Providence, and the State Veteran’s Cemetery in Spanish Fort, Alabama. Public meetings I attended include a public hearing on the legislative redistricting that we will address in the coming session and the North Alabama Transportation Foundation (NALTF) monthly meeting where we heard about Huntsville’s long range development plans in Limestone County. I spoke with a men’s group at the First Presbyterian Church in Athens one Sunday morning –I don’t think my talk was as good as the breakfast! I attended the 75th anniversary of Madison Elementary School. It was nice to visit with so many people who either taught or attended this school. It was also nice to visit with the current staff and to hear the children sing. What a wonderful school. Later in the month I attended a meeting with several hundred 10th graders in Huntsville, along other legislators and local leaders to discuss the perils of texting and driving – I asked the children to pass our message along to their parents ;0). I also attended the Alabama A&M football game where Governor Bentley recognized the volunteers, first responders, health care professionals, and other organizations for their work during the April tornadoes. I attended the annual Partnership for a Drug Free Community Awards Luncheon where local law enforcement was recognized for their efforts. I attended a conference hosted by UA Huntsville with NASA to discuss opportunities in the privatization of space travel. I attended several meetings with constituents to include a meeting concerning the REAL ID driver’s license law and another meeting addressing concerns with adoption and State DHR policies. I was honored to attend the deployment ceremony for the 115th Signal Battalion as well. These are great men and women, leaving their families behind to deploy forward in our nation’s interest. I’ve did this twice in my career as a Marine and I know firsthand what is going through their minds and the challenges their families will face. Our prayers are with them all. Lastly, I was able to participate in the 8th annual Liz Hurley Ribbon Run. What a great turn out for a great cause!
Also, please note these events occurring in early November - Hero’s week is 8 – 14 November where the Semper Fi Community Task Force will host over 60 combat wounded warriors and their spouses in Huntsville. This coincides with Veteran’s Day activities and dedication of Huntsville’s Veteran’s Monument. Please honor our veterans and their sacrifices on Veteran’s Day.
Immigration Law – The biggest news on the Immigration Law Alabama passed in June is that a significant portion of the law has survived legal challenges by the U.S. Department of Justice as directed by President Obama…simply, amazing.
In late September a Federal Judge in Birmingham upheld all but two sections of the law: a section barring illegal immigrants from enrolling in public universities and another concerning traffic laws for blocking traffic to hire workers off the street. In October a three judge panel at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta upheld the law with exception to two additional sections: one making it a misdemeanor for an alien to fail to carry registration documents and another which required schools to determine a child's country of birth and immigration status upon enrollment. The balance of the law remains intact.
All in all I am very pleased that even after these challenges the law has remained largely intact. Yes, there are more challenges yet to be heard in the Federal Courts but I’m confident we will prevail. As I’ve stated before, the last thing we need is a patchwork quilt of state laws, we simply need the federal government to enforce the Constitution on immigration. Interesting to note that the President’s administration has now added South Carolina to the list of states it is suing over having passed stricter, state immigration laws designed to assist the federal government. I believe that as more states pass laws the administration will finally get the message.
Before I move on to another topic in the newsletter I’d like to touch on the supposed racist implications of the immigration issue. I’ve been contacted by a few people who claim our law is racist and brings back the racist era of Alabama’s dark past. I disagree. This law has nothing to do with race and everything to do with nationality. In fact, the law never mentions race – it focuses on nationality and the legal presence of a person in Alabama. To those that choose to live in the past, claiming this law will give way to racial profiling and discrimination of the Civil Rights era; I say you are simply selling Alabama short. I chose to look to the future and what Alabama can become. I look to the economic development and educational opportunities our state faces. When someone brings up racial profiling by law enforcement and the judicial branch they fail to realize that today’s law enforcement and judicial professionals are represented by many races and diverse backgrounds. I have full faith and confidence in the professionalism of these public servants to uphold the spirit and intent of this law. I’m also appalled by the argument, associating the travesties in our state’s history, which lead to the civil rights movement, with the immigration policy. No one wants to block legal immigration – everyone is welcome – it is the illegal immigration part we have a problem with.
Property Tax Court Challenge – a somewhat overlooked court case that received a ruling last month is the Lynch vs. Alabama challenge to Alabama’s school funding and property tax laws. This case received incredible coverage during the proceedings but went away with little more than a whimper in the end. The case took over two years to go to court due to legal challenges and lasted about 4 weeks in court. In the end the Judge ruled that while there are flaws in the current system of funding schools, the system does not violate a child’s civil rights for an education. The implications of this suit and Alabama’s property tax code could have been nothing short of monumental had the ruling went the other way. A possible outcome was a court mandated restructuring of our property tax laws.
School Visits – last month I set out on an ambitious plan to visit each school in the district over the course of two months. The purpose was to deliver Community Service Grants (CSGs) of approximately $2,000 to each school to help defray costs for classroom supplies. As the days passed I came to the conclusion that while it is important for me to visit the schools - and I was able to visit several - I realized it is more important that the checks get delivered! I’ve mailed all of the checks and will resume my quest to visit the schools on a less ambitious schedule. The funding for CSGs is allocated to the district in the state budget. As always, when returning money to the district I always share that this is the people’s money, returned to the people. I just happen to be the person working to return it.
Increased State Employee Retirement Contributions – A bill that we passed in the 2011 session placed a 2.5% increase (2.25% in Oct 2011 and .25% in Oct 2012 for a total of 2.5%) on employee contributions to the Retirement System of Alabama (RSA). The increase went into effect this month and as one might expect I’ve received numerous phone calls and emails on this matter. To date I have returned 100% of them. I'm the type of elected person that responds when someone sends me an email or calls. Often times people are simply "venting" frustrations in a “drive by email or phone call” but I like to respond and provide the "rest of the story".
There are several issues at hand here. First, you may find my comments from my daily blog post (scroll down to June 9th, the day we passed this bill) helpful. Please note the $82 million hole in the Education Trust Fund to pay pensions for employees and retirees, preventing over 1,500 school system layoffs by passing this bill and that the employee contribution had remained level at 5% for 24 years while the state portion (taxpayer) grew to almost 13%.
Second – I have some real concerns with the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) and ability to meet our state's obligations. I’ll let the following editorial speak for itself.
Third, the Alabama Education Association - in their quest to provide information to their membership - distributed postcards throughout the school systems state-wide this month. The postcards played out the same message prevalent during the session - don't balance the budget on the backs of the state employees, instead close corporate loopholes. The post cards provided little in facts and were nothing more than a political hit piece on legislation that was passed three months ago.
Imagine if the funding for the post card effort had been spent to help teachers in the classroom. Imagine if they had alerted teachers to the change in a pro-active way over the summer and again when the school year started. Teachers could have planned for the additional increase to their retirement contribution. Those are the questions I’d have for the AEA leadership if I were a member. I’ll say it every chance I get - this "us against them" mentality is failing us all.
It is important to note that the postcards claim we didn’t work to close any loopholes. For the record, I support economic expansion incentives in most cases but do not support tax loopholes that allow for the profit shell games where companies move profits out of Alabama to other states with lower taxes. Following are details on a couple of actions taken during the 2011 session to close the loopholes…countering the AEA half-truths.
HB 434 (Act 2011-616) estimated to generate $5m for FY11 and $20m for FY12 and each year thereafter. Under current Alabama law, multistate corporations subject to Alabama income tax, apportion their income to Alabama using a three-factor formula with each factor equally weighted. The three factors are payroll, property, and sales. Corporations calculate the percentage of each of the factors that are attributable to Alabama and then average the three factors to determine the percentage of their income that is subject to Alabama tax. This act changed the sales factor in Alabama’s favor so that the percentage of income subject to Alabama tax is less for companies with a large portion of their property and payroll in Alabama, and the percentage of income subject to Alabama tax is greater for companies with a smaller portion of their property and payroll in Alabama.
HB 548 (Gross Income Rule) was estimated to generate $15m for FY12 and $10m each year thereafter, but did not pass. However, a one year rule was promulgated by the Revenue Department to accomplish a similar result that is estimated to produce $15m for FY 2. We will revisit this in the 2012 session. Explanation - Prior to the adoption of this rule change, an administrative rule allowed residents of Alabama who earned income through a partnership, LLC, or S-corporation (pass-through entity) that does business in more than one state or in a foreign country to report only their share of income allocated to Alabama by the pass-through entity. This rule change requires Alabama residents who are owners of pass-through entities to report their share of all of the pass-through entity's income on their Alabama returns. Residents of Alabama who are owners of pass-through entities that do business in other states and who pay income taxes to those other states will receive a credit for income taxes paid to those states.
PEEHIP: According to this report, approx 2,100 state employees have decided to retire becasue of the new changes to state health care premiums. Last month I received a couple of questions on the changes to Public Education Employees Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP) program and provided the following information. Please take the time to read the Act, linked here (20 pages, the first 8 are definitions) that was passed in the 2011 Session to address changes to PEEHIP. A FAQ Sheet is posted on the PEEHIP website as well. Additionally, readers may find this information from the Alabama Policy Institute helpful in understanding the scope of the concerns in Alabama regarding our state and local government employee compensation and pension plans.
In short, the intent of the PEEHIP changes is to control overall insurance cost in our state...and to the taxpayers. This came to light from reports concerning those employees that retire before they are Medicare eligible. This group tended to impact the PEEHIP system disproportionately higher than other retirees who are Medicare eligible. The new law changes the way an employee's insurance premiums are calculated, placing it on a sliding scale. It takes into account a person's years of service, their age and their proximity to Medicare eligibility. Previously, little thought was given when a 60-year old person with 10 years of service got full PEEHIP benefits – the same as someone who had worked 25 years. Simply put, our state, and the taxpayers, can no longer afford this.
According to the state's PEEHIP Web page, members who retire on or after 1 January 2012, and have fewer than 25 years of service, will have a 4% penalty for each year they are under 25 years (note - previously, the penalty was 2%). Members who are not yet eligible for Medicare will also pay a 1% penalty for every year until they reach the eligibility age of 65. Employees who are 65 years old and have 25 years of service will see no increase.
AEA Leadership – Several leadership changes are on the horizon for the Alabama Education Association. Dr. Paul Hubbard and Joe Reed both recently announced their retirement plans. Earlier this year the Alabama Educators Association (AEA) inducted a new president, Ms. Dorothy Strickland. With new leadership comes new opportunities too, well, lead.
I routinely follow AEA activities through various means such as the AEA Journal, which is printed and published on line. The most recent version (Oct 17 – page #3, linked here) included an article by Strickland entitled “November to be cruelest for Alabama Educators" (see page 3 of the linked article). I’ve come to expect articles slanted from this direction from the likes of long time AEA leadership and even from a couple of my colleagues from across the aisle who occasionally submits articles to the publication. I had hoped for something more from the new president.
Her article discusses the increase in retirement contributions paid by teachers without touching on the root of the problem – why the new legislature had to make tough decisions in the 2011 session. You see, past leadership – under the heavy hand of the AEA – chose a hands off approach to the state retirement system. Yes, employee contribution to the teacher’s retirement fund was increased by 2.5% - but Strickland omits that employee contribution had remained level at 5% for 24 years.
To her credit, Strickland brings up the “corporate loophole” argument but again fails to discuss two key facts. One, that her organization essentially turned a blind eye to closing the loopholes during the decades long democrat party reign over the legislature. Second, the legislature began to address the corporate loopholes in the 2011 session (see HB434 and HB548 above)
These are difficult times and leadership in difficult times requires a special type of leader. My hope is that during Ms. Strickland’s tenure as the AEA President she will truly lead. The simple continuation of an “us against them” approach will do nothing to bridge the divide between public and private sectors.
I’ve not lost sight of the fact that many voters, and tax payers, are also teachers and administrators as well as parents and grandparents. I think we’ve seen that doing what we’ve always done will get us the same results. We are all in this together and I’m committed to doing what is right for the future of our state. I hope the new AEA leadership will do the same - anything less decreases the relevance of the AEA and their Journal to mere political propaganda.
ATPRO – I’ve reintroduced the Alabama Teacher’s Planed Retirement Option (ATPRO) for the 2012 session. As background, I introduced ATPRO during the 2011 session after we voted to close DROP but was unable to move the bill late in the session. You can read more about my intent in the blog here (scroll down to March 29th and 30th).
The bill that closed DROP requires a commission to meet and study the feasibility of introducing a delayed retirement incentive option. Unfortunately that commission has yet to meet and we are about 100 days from the start of 2012 session. ATPRO was re-introduced in the exact form as last year as a starting point, and in case the commission is unable to convene prior to the 2012 session.
ATPRO, in its current form does not include other State Employees. I’ll share that I’ve discussed with a colleague about submitting a parallel bill for state employees. I believe we need to keep the systems (and funds) separate if possible. This is a part of what caused the problems with DROP. I am committed to developing a similar bill to introduce if the commission does not meet and if a colleague does not introduce a bill for State Employees.
I remain cautiously optimistic with these bills. I know we face significant headwinds with funding – a never ending saga. Closing DROP saved $46M, $32M of which came from the Education Trust Fund (ETF). The fiscal note on ATPRO from last year cited a program cost of $10M, of which $7M would come from the ETF.
I also do not want to mislead anyone. Please note, DROP was never intended as a supplemental retirement program…but that is what it became and ultimately led to its demise. ATPRO is designed to incentivize employees with certain skill sets to remain working for 3 – 5 years longer so that a replacement can be hired and trained for their position. With DROP, every employee qualified. That is not my intent with ATPRO. Employees will apply to the Board and the Board will determine if that skill set is difficult to replace, thereby qualifying them to participate in the program. A misconception with DROP and potentially ATPRO is that the programs were designed to supplement state employee retirement. That was never the intent.
Jobs – Great News! Several economic development announcements occurred across the state this month. One in our backyard include Carpenter Technology revealed its plans to build a $500 million, 400,000-square-foot plant that will employ about 200 people in Limestone County. Although those jobs are some months away, construction of the plant will require many construction workers and infuse indirect work in our community.
Other expansions announced state-wide this month include GE Aviation breaking ground on a new $50 million, 300,000 square-foot jet engine components factory in Auburn. Pharmavite, a vitamins and dietary supplements producer broke ground in Opelika on a $76.5 million, 330,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility. The facility is expected to create 280 jobs.
Mercedes-Benz announced it will make a completely new model in 2015 at its assembly plant in Vance. They plan to invest an additional $350 million in the plant to prepare for the new vehicle's production which will add about 400 new jobs when production begins. The Alabama Development Office reported in October that Alabama's auto exports grew by about 35% this year as compared to last year. Some may be surprised that automobiles are Alabama's top export. One thing is for sure, Mercedes, Honda and Hyundai have found our strong work force coupled with low cost of doing business makes for a great partnership. I wonder who will be next.
Wow, long newsletter this month! Thanks for reading and contacting me with your concerns. I’m very proud to serve as your Senator! In closing, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for and I hope you’ll be able to spend time with family and friends over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Also, please note these events occurring in early November - Hero’s week is 8 – 14 November where the Semper Fi Community Task Force will host over 60 combat wounded warriors and their spouses in Huntsville. This coincides with Veteran’s Day activities and dedication of Huntsville’s Veteran’s Monument. Please honor our veterans and their sacrifices on Veteran’s Day.
Immigration Law – The biggest news on the Immigration Law Alabama passed in June is that a significant portion of the law has survived legal challenges by the U.S. Department of Justice as directed by President Obama…simply, amazing.
In late September a Federal Judge in Birmingham upheld all but two sections of the law: a section barring illegal immigrants from enrolling in public universities and another concerning traffic laws for blocking traffic to hire workers off the street. In October a three judge panel at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta upheld the law with exception to two additional sections: one making it a misdemeanor for an alien to fail to carry registration documents and another which required schools to determine a child's country of birth and immigration status upon enrollment. The balance of the law remains intact.
All in all I am very pleased that even after these challenges the law has remained largely intact. Yes, there are more challenges yet to be heard in the Federal Courts but I’m confident we will prevail. As I’ve stated before, the last thing we need is a patchwork quilt of state laws, we simply need the federal government to enforce the Constitution on immigration. Interesting to note that the President’s administration has now added South Carolina to the list of states it is suing over having passed stricter, state immigration laws designed to assist the federal government. I believe that as more states pass laws the administration will finally get the message.
Before I move on to another topic in the newsletter I’d like to touch on the supposed racist implications of the immigration issue. I’ve been contacted by a few people who claim our law is racist and brings back the racist era of Alabama’s dark past. I disagree. This law has nothing to do with race and everything to do with nationality. In fact, the law never mentions race – it focuses on nationality and the legal presence of a person in Alabama. To those that choose to live in the past, claiming this law will give way to racial profiling and discrimination of the Civil Rights era; I say you are simply selling Alabama short. I chose to look to the future and what Alabama can become. I look to the economic development and educational opportunities our state faces. When someone brings up racial profiling by law enforcement and the judicial branch they fail to realize that today’s law enforcement and judicial professionals are represented by many races and diverse backgrounds. I have full faith and confidence in the professionalism of these public servants to uphold the spirit and intent of this law. I’m also appalled by the argument, associating the travesties in our state’s history, which lead to the civil rights movement, with the immigration policy. No one wants to block legal immigration – everyone is welcome – it is the illegal immigration part we have a problem with.
Property Tax Court Challenge – a somewhat overlooked court case that received a ruling last month is the Lynch vs. Alabama challenge to Alabama’s school funding and property tax laws. This case received incredible coverage during the proceedings but went away with little more than a whimper in the end. The case took over two years to go to court due to legal challenges and lasted about 4 weeks in court. In the end the Judge ruled that while there are flaws in the current system of funding schools, the system does not violate a child’s civil rights for an education. The implications of this suit and Alabama’s property tax code could have been nothing short of monumental had the ruling went the other way. A possible outcome was a court mandated restructuring of our property tax laws.
School Visits – last month I set out on an ambitious plan to visit each school in the district over the course of two months. The purpose was to deliver Community Service Grants (CSGs) of approximately $2,000 to each school to help defray costs for classroom supplies. As the days passed I came to the conclusion that while it is important for me to visit the schools - and I was able to visit several - I realized it is more important that the checks get delivered! I’ve mailed all of the checks and will resume my quest to visit the schools on a less ambitious schedule. The funding for CSGs is allocated to the district in the state budget. As always, when returning money to the district I always share that this is the people’s money, returned to the people. I just happen to be the person working to return it.
Increased State Employee Retirement Contributions – A bill that we passed in the 2011 session placed a 2.5% increase (2.25% in Oct 2011 and .25% in Oct 2012 for a total of 2.5%) on employee contributions to the Retirement System of Alabama (RSA). The increase went into effect this month and as one might expect I’ve received numerous phone calls and emails on this matter. To date I have returned 100% of them. I'm the type of elected person that responds when someone sends me an email or calls. Often times people are simply "venting" frustrations in a “drive by email or phone call” but I like to respond and provide the "rest of the story".
There are several issues at hand here. First, you may find my comments from my daily blog post (scroll down to June 9th, the day we passed this bill) helpful. Please note the $82 million hole in the Education Trust Fund to pay pensions for employees and retirees, preventing over 1,500 school system layoffs by passing this bill and that the employee contribution had remained level at 5% for 24 years while the state portion (taxpayer) grew to almost 13%.
Second – I have some real concerns with the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) and ability to meet our state's obligations. I’ll let the following editorial speak for itself.
Third, the Alabama Education Association - in their quest to provide information to their membership - distributed postcards throughout the school systems state-wide this month. The postcards played out the same message prevalent during the session - don't balance the budget on the backs of the state employees, instead close corporate loopholes. The post cards provided little in facts and were nothing more than a political hit piece on legislation that was passed three months ago.
Imagine if the funding for the post card effort had been spent to help teachers in the classroom. Imagine if they had alerted teachers to the change in a pro-active way over the summer and again when the school year started. Teachers could have planned for the additional increase to their retirement contribution. Those are the questions I’d have for the AEA leadership if I were a member. I’ll say it every chance I get - this "us against them" mentality is failing us all.
It is important to note that the postcards claim we didn’t work to close any loopholes. For the record, I support economic expansion incentives in most cases but do not support tax loopholes that allow for the profit shell games where companies move profits out of Alabama to other states with lower taxes. Following are details on a couple of actions taken during the 2011 session to close the loopholes…countering the AEA half-truths.
HB 434 (Act 2011-616) estimated to generate $5m for FY11 and $20m for FY12 and each year thereafter. Under current Alabama law, multistate corporations subject to Alabama income tax, apportion their income to Alabama using a three-factor formula with each factor equally weighted. The three factors are payroll, property, and sales. Corporations calculate the percentage of each of the factors that are attributable to Alabama and then average the three factors to determine the percentage of their income that is subject to Alabama tax. This act changed the sales factor in Alabama’s favor so that the percentage of income subject to Alabama tax is less for companies with a large portion of their property and payroll in Alabama, and the percentage of income subject to Alabama tax is greater for companies with a smaller portion of their property and payroll in Alabama.
HB 548 (Gross Income Rule) was estimated to generate $15m for FY12 and $10m each year thereafter, but did not pass. However, a one year rule was promulgated by the Revenue Department to accomplish a similar result that is estimated to produce $15m for FY 2. We will revisit this in the 2012 session. Explanation - Prior to the adoption of this rule change, an administrative rule allowed residents of Alabama who earned income through a partnership, LLC, or S-corporation (pass-through entity) that does business in more than one state or in a foreign country to report only their share of income allocated to Alabama by the pass-through entity. This rule change requires Alabama residents who are owners of pass-through entities to report their share of all of the pass-through entity's income on their Alabama returns. Residents of Alabama who are owners of pass-through entities that do business in other states and who pay income taxes to those other states will receive a credit for income taxes paid to those states.
PEEHIP: According to this report, approx 2,100 state employees have decided to retire becasue of the new changes to state health care premiums. Last month I received a couple of questions on the changes to Public Education Employees Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP) program and provided the following information. Please take the time to read the Act, linked here (20 pages, the first 8 are definitions) that was passed in the 2011 Session to address changes to PEEHIP. A FAQ Sheet is posted on the PEEHIP website as well. Additionally, readers may find this information from the Alabama Policy Institute helpful in understanding the scope of the concerns in Alabama regarding our state and local government employee compensation and pension plans.
In short, the intent of the PEEHIP changes is to control overall insurance cost in our state...and to the taxpayers. This came to light from reports concerning those employees that retire before they are Medicare eligible. This group tended to impact the PEEHIP system disproportionately higher than other retirees who are Medicare eligible. The new law changes the way an employee's insurance premiums are calculated, placing it on a sliding scale. It takes into account a person's years of service, their age and their proximity to Medicare eligibility. Previously, little thought was given when a 60-year old person with 10 years of service got full PEEHIP benefits – the same as someone who had worked 25 years. Simply put, our state, and the taxpayers, can no longer afford this.
According to the state's PEEHIP Web page, members who retire on or after 1 January 2012, and have fewer than 25 years of service, will have a 4% penalty for each year they are under 25 years (note - previously, the penalty was 2%). Members who are not yet eligible for Medicare will also pay a 1% penalty for every year until they reach the eligibility age of 65. Employees who are 65 years old and have 25 years of service will see no increase.
AEA Leadership – Several leadership changes are on the horizon for the Alabama Education Association. Dr. Paul Hubbard and Joe Reed both recently announced their retirement plans. Earlier this year the Alabama Educators Association (AEA) inducted a new president, Ms. Dorothy Strickland. With new leadership comes new opportunities too, well, lead.
I routinely follow AEA activities through various means such as the AEA Journal, which is printed and published on line. The most recent version (Oct 17 – page #3, linked here) included an article by Strickland entitled “November to be cruelest for Alabama Educators" (see page 3 of the linked article). I’ve come to expect articles slanted from this direction from the likes of long time AEA leadership and even from a couple of my colleagues from across the aisle who occasionally submits articles to the publication. I had hoped for something more from the new president.
Her article discusses the increase in retirement contributions paid by teachers without touching on the root of the problem – why the new legislature had to make tough decisions in the 2011 session. You see, past leadership – under the heavy hand of the AEA – chose a hands off approach to the state retirement system. Yes, employee contribution to the teacher’s retirement fund was increased by 2.5% - but Strickland omits that employee contribution had remained level at 5% for 24 years.
To her credit, Strickland brings up the “corporate loophole” argument but again fails to discuss two key facts. One, that her organization essentially turned a blind eye to closing the loopholes during the decades long democrat party reign over the legislature. Second, the legislature began to address the corporate loopholes in the 2011 session (see HB434 and HB548 above)
These are difficult times and leadership in difficult times requires a special type of leader. My hope is that during Ms. Strickland’s tenure as the AEA President she will truly lead. The simple continuation of an “us against them” approach will do nothing to bridge the divide between public and private sectors.
I’ve not lost sight of the fact that many voters, and tax payers, are also teachers and administrators as well as parents and grandparents. I think we’ve seen that doing what we’ve always done will get us the same results. We are all in this together and I’m committed to doing what is right for the future of our state. I hope the new AEA leadership will do the same - anything less decreases the relevance of the AEA and their Journal to mere political propaganda.
ATPRO – I’ve reintroduced the Alabama Teacher’s Planed Retirement Option (ATPRO) for the 2012 session. As background, I introduced ATPRO during the 2011 session after we voted to close DROP but was unable to move the bill late in the session. You can read more about my intent in the blog here (scroll down to March 29th and 30th).
The bill that closed DROP requires a commission to meet and study the feasibility of introducing a delayed retirement incentive option. Unfortunately that commission has yet to meet and we are about 100 days from the start of 2012 session. ATPRO was re-introduced in the exact form as last year as a starting point, and in case the commission is unable to convene prior to the 2012 session.
ATPRO, in its current form does not include other State Employees. I’ll share that I’ve discussed with a colleague about submitting a parallel bill for state employees. I believe we need to keep the systems (and funds) separate if possible. This is a part of what caused the problems with DROP. I am committed to developing a similar bill to introduce if the commission does not meet and if a colleague does not introduce a bill for State Employees.
I remain cautiously optimistic with these bills. I know we face significant headwinds with funding – a never ending saga. Closing DROP saved $46M, $32M of which came from the Education Trust Fund (ETF). The fiscal note on ATPRO from last year cited a program cost of $10M, of which $7M would come from the ETF.
I also do not want to mislead anyone. Please note, DROP was never intended as a supplemental retirement program…but that is what it became and ultimately led to its demise. ATPRO is designed to incentivize employees with certain skill sets to remain working for 3 – 5 years longer so that a replacement can be hired and trained for their position. With DROP, every employee qualified. That is not my intent with ATPRO. Employees will apply to the Board and the Board will determine if that skill set is difficult to replace, thereby qualifying them to participate in the program. A misconception with DROP and potentially ATPRO is that the programs were designed to supplement state employee retirement. That was never the intent.
Jobs – Great News! Several economic development announcements occurred across the state this month. One in our backyard include Carpenter Technology revealed its plans to build a $500 million, 400,000-square-foot plant that will employ about 200 people in Limestone County. Although those jobs are some months away, construction of the plant will require many construction workers and infuse indirect work in our community.
Other expansions announced state-wide this month include GE Aviation breaking ground on a new $50 million, 300,000 square-foot jet engine components factory in Auburn. Pharmavite, a vitamins and dietary supplements producer broke ground in Opelika on a $76.5 million, 330,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility. The facility is expected to create 280 jobs.
Mercedes-Benz announced it will make a completely new model in 2015 at its assembly plant in Vance. They plan to invest an additional $350 million in the plant to prepare for the new vehicle's production which will add about 400 new jobs when production begins. The Alabama Development Office reported in October that Alabama's auto exports grew by about 35% this year as compared to last year. Some may be surprised that automobiles are Alabama's top export. One thing is for sure, Mercedes, Honda and Hyundai have found our strong work force coupled with low cost of doing business makes for a great partnership. I wonder who will be next.
Wow, long newsletter this month! Thanks for reading and contacting me with your concerns. I’m very proud to serve as your Senator! In closing, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for and I hope you’ll be able to spend time with family and friends over the Thanksgiving weekend.
September 2011 District 2 Newsletter
September was a busy month on several fronts. We closely watched the illegal immigration lawsuits and are very pleased with Judge Blackburn’s rulings. More on the new law later. Even though I returned to work this month, part time (more on that below as well) I continued to attend several events across the district and in Montgomery. I traveled to Montgomery on several occasions including the inaugural meeting of the Military Stability and Jobs Commission, the monthly meeting of the Joint Legislative Contract Review Committee, and the GOP Senate Caucus meeting to discuss/plan for the upcoming session. I kept my exercising up by running in the Redstone Arsenal 9.1.1 K (just short of a 10K) commemorating the 10th anniversary of September 11th and the Athens Duck and Run 5K supporting Keep Athens Limestone Beautiful. I attended the Limestone County United Way Day of Caring lunch where so many first responders, utility workers, and community volunteers were recognized for their outstanding efforts during and after the April tornados. I attended meetings concerning the crowded schools in North-West Madison County, resulting in the announcement of a new Madison County High School in North-West Madison County. I attended meetings concerning future plans for Athens State University and Calhoun Community College. I also attended a kick-off to the Constitution Week hosted by the Keyes Chapter of the Daughter’s of the American Revolution in Athens. I visited the Blue Water Springs Community Park located in Toney Alabama to discuss funding plans for park enhancement. I also attended Senator Sessions’ Washington Update at the VBC. I was also honored to speak at the September meeting of the Marine Corps League in Huntsville. My two page speech can be read here.
PEEHIP Changes: I've added some information to the News Section on the Home page with links to a couple of documents on the changes to Public Education Employees Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP). As always, I like to share the facts to help readers understand my position on legislation.
Local Schools Visit – As ambitious as it may sound; I plan to visit each school in the district over the course of the next two months. I will deliver Community Service Grants (CSGs) to each school to help defray costs for classroom supplies. Each school will receive just under $2000. This is money allocated to the district in the state budget. When returning money to the district I always tell people that this is the people’s money, returned to the people. I just happen to be the person working to return it. You won’t see any pictures of me standing behind a giant check!
Hardest Hit Alabama – Some readers may already be aware of this program but Hardest Hit Alabama provides mortgage assistance to homeowners who are unemployed and receiving unemployment compensation. This initiative is an effort to help homeowners avoid foreclosure while they are unemployed. A person must be receiving unemployment compensation to qualify. The program provides up to 12 monthly mortgage payments per household, not to exceed $15,000. For those homeowners with property located in one of the 43 federally declared disaster counties (Limestone and Madison qualify) it provides up to 18 monthly payments per household not to exceed $25,000. Additional eligibility requirements exist but I’ve been told that most unemployed homeowners receiving unemployment compensation will qualify. Please note, funding is available on a first come, first serve basis. Applications can be completed at the website or by calling 1-877-497-8182. Please pass this information along if you know of someone who could use assistance.
Immigration Law …AL-Verify and Car Tag Renewals – First of all, I continue to stand by my vote in support of the Immigration Law, better known as HB56. From some of the reports I’m reading it seems that some of those who voted for passage of the bill really don’t want everyone to know of their support. Read the final vote tally here…you may be surprised at some of the Democrats that voted for the bill. Yes, it was a solid bi-partisan vote which passed the immigration law: 25 Yeas (20 Republican’s and 5 Democrats) to 7 Nays (1 Republican and 6 Democrats), 2 Passes (1 Republican and 1 Independent) and 1 abstain (a Democrat) equals all 35 Senators.
Governor Bentley announced the new AL-Verify system earlier this month. The system uses driver's license numbers and expiration dates to verify the legal status of people purchasing or renewing vehicle tags. The system is instrumental in allowing us to continue to apply online and via mail for tag renewals through the mail or online rather than standing in line at their local license facility. You can check your license on the system here. I’ve also attached information from both Limestone and Madison County on what you’ll need to renew your car tags. Click on your county above for additional information. Of note, at the time of this newsletter posting, both counties continue to support renewal online or via mail.
Lastly – thank you to everyone that I’ve visited with across the district that has expressed their support in our passing of this law. I know there are a few wrinkles to work out and universally I think we all support LEGAL immigration but there are conversations happening across our nation regarding immigration reform that would not be happening had we not passed this law.
Returning to the Workforce – I returned to work in early September, after being unemployed for almost two years. Those that followed the campaign know that I willingly resigned from my job as a government employee at NASA in August 2009 to become a candidate for the Senate. This was required due to the Hatch Act which prohibits Federal Employees from being a candidate for or serving in a partisan elected position. I simply had to make a choice – run for the Senate or continue to work at NASA. I truly miss working at NASA – what a great team – but I know I’m supposed to be doing exactly what I’m doing right now. I share this in the newsletter for a couple of reasons. First, as a witness to being faithful to God’s calling. We believed He would provide what we needed…and He did.
No doubt it was pretty scary leaving a secure job for a “maybe” as a candidate. It was a long 14 months campaigning; I often told my wife “I’m not unemployed; I’m a full time candidate!” Just like everyone else, we have bills, commitments, not to mention a child in college! However, almost two years to the day from leaving the work force I am happy to have returned, even in a part time role, which allows me to continue serving in my legislative duties.
I also want to share that when I began seeking employment after the session ended in June of this year I purposely limited myself to companies that only supported the federal government. In other words, as a state elected official who not only sits on the General Fund committee, allocating state dollars, but also the chair of the Joint Legislative Contract Review Committee that approves state contracts - I refused to place myself or my state in a position where someone/something might be compromised. This limiting factor restricted the pool of work available for my background in contracting. I am fortunate to be working with a contractor supporting a U.S. Army program on Redstone Arsenal. Lastly, I was never counted in the almost 10% unemployment in Alabama as I willingly left my job in 2009 and therefore did not file for any sort of unemployment compensation. For those still looking for work, keep your contacts fresh, and keep the faith!
Semper Fi - Bill
PEEHIP Changes: I've added some information to the News Section on the Home page with links to a couple of documents on the changes to Public Education Employees Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP). As always, I like to share the facts to help readers understand my position on legislation.
Local Schools Visit – As ambitious as it may sound; I plan to visit each school in the district over the course of the next two months. I will deliver Community Service Grants (CSGs) to each school to help defray costs for classroom supplies. Each school will receive just under $2000. This is money allocated to the district in the state budget. When returning money to the district I always tell people that this is the people’s money, returned to the people. I just happen to be the person working to return it. You won’t see any pictures of me standing behind a giant check!
Hardest Hit Alabama – Some readers may already be aware of this program but Hardest Hit Alabama provides mortgage assistance to homeowners who are unemployed and receiving unemployment compensation. This initiative is an effort to help homeowners avoid foreclosure while they are unemployed. A person must be receiving unemployment compensation to qualify. The program provides up to 12 monthly mortgage payments per household, not to exceed $15,000. For those homeowners with property located in one of the 43 federally declared disaster counties (Limestone and Madison qualify) it provides up to 18 monthly payments per household not to exceed $25,000. Additional eligibility requirements exist but I’ve been told that most unemployed homeowners receiving unemployment compensation will qualify. Please note, funding is available on a first come, first serve basis. Applications can be completed at the website or by calling 1-877-497-8182. Please pass this information along if you know of someone who could use assistance.
Immigration Law …AL-Verify and Car Tag Renewals – First of all, I continue to stand by my vote in support of the Immigration Law, better known as HB56. From some of the reports I’m reading it seems that some of those who voted for passage of the bill really don’t want everyone to know of their support. Read the final vote tally here…you may be surprised at some of the Democrats that voted for the bill. Yes, it was a solid bi-partisan vote which passed the immigration law: 25 Yeas (20 Republican’s and 5 Democrats) to 7 Nays (1 Republican and 6 Democrats), 2 Passes (1 Republican and 1 Independent) and 1 abstain (a Democrat) equals all 35 Senators.
Governor Bentley announced the new AL-Verify system earlier this month. The system uses driver's license numbers and expiration dates to verify the legal status of people purchasing or renewing vehicle tags. The system is instrumental in allowing us to continue to apply online and via mail for tag renewals through the mail or online rather than standing in line at their local license facility. You can check your license on the system here. I’ve also attached information from both Limestone and Madison County on what you’ll need to renew your car tags. Click on your county above for additional information. Of note, at the time of this newsletter posting, both counties continue to support renewal online or via mail.
Lastly – thank you to everyone that I’ve visited with across the district that has expressed their support in our passing of this law. I know there are a few wrinkles to work out and universally I think we all support LEGAL immigration but there are conversations happening across our nation regarding immigration reform that would not be happening had we not passed this law.
Returning to the Workforce – I returned to work in early September, after being unemployed for almost two years. Those that followed the campaign know that I willingly resigned from my job as a government employee at NASA in August 2009 to become a candidate for the Senate. This was required due to the Hatch Act which prohibits Federal Employees from being a candidate for or serving in a partisan elected position. I simply had to make a choice – run for the Senate or continue to work at NASA. I truly miss working at NASA – what a great team – but I know I’m supposed to be doing exactly what I’m doing right now. I share this in the newsletter for a couple of reasons. First, as a witness to being faithful to God’s calling. We believed He would provide what we needed…and He did.
No doubt it was pretty scary leaving a secure job for a “maybe” as a candidate. It was a long 14 months campaigning; I often told my wife “I’m not unemployed; I’m a full time candidate!” Just like everyone else, we have bills, commitments, not to mention a child in college! However, almost two years to the day from leaving the work force I am happy to have returned, even in a part time role, which allows me to continue serving in my legislative duties.
I also want to share that when I began seeking employment after the session ended in June of this year I purposely limited myself to companies that only supported the federal government. In other words, as a state elected official who not only sits on the General Fund committee, allocating state dollars, but also the chair of the Joint Legislative Contract Review Committee that approves state contracts - I refused to place myself or my state in a position where someone/something might be compromised. This limiting factor restricted the pool of work available for my background in contracting. I am fortunate to be working with a contractor supporting a U.S. Army program on Redstone Arsenal. Lastly, I was never counted in the almost 10% unemployment in Alabama as I willingly left my job in 2009 and therefore did not file for any sort of unemployment compensation. For those still looking for work, keep your contacts fresh, and keep the faith!
Semper Fi - Bill
August 2011 Senate District 2 Newsletter
This is the second newsletter since the end of the 2011 legislative session which concluded in June. Previous month’s newsletters are posted below. I will continue to publish a monthly newsletter until we return to session in February 2012; I blog virtually every day when we are in session. Feel free to email me should you have comments or questions.
Tornado Recovery – As a member of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee I recently attended a tour of the Insurance Institute for Building and Home Safety (IBHS), located in Richburg, SC. I joined other members of the Banking and Insurance Committee and the Insurance Commissioners from Alabama and Mississippi for the tour.
The intent of the tour was to demonstrate the facilities commitment for developing improved building designs that increase the survivability of dwellings in high risk weather areas. We were able to watch a full scale test of a severe thunderstorm with wind gusts exceeding 45 MPH along with driving rain. The test was conducted on a full scale housing duplex, constructed specifically for the event, inside the facilities test chamber. You can watch the test here. We saw firsthand the significance of incorporating simple, reinforcement and water prevention measures on new and existing homes that can mitigate the effects of wind and rain storms. The Institute has developed a program called FORTIFIED for Existing Homes. The program incorporates superior construction techniques and is designed to help strengthen existing homes through a systemic, step-by-step approach to retrofitting a home to significantly reduce or prevent damage from specific natural hazards. The Institute for Building and Home Safety’s website contains extensive information for consumers, builders and elected officials. The site is located at www.disastersafety.org.
I support these measures from a volunteer standpoint – in other words, consumers need to be aware of these options but they should not be mandated through legislation. A long term goal is to have insurance companies recognize that a consumer has incorporated these measures and provide a premium discount. Similarly, the mortgage industry could recognize these measures as an asset to a home – similar to any other upgrade – and include in appraisals.
I continue to help families interact with their insurance agencies with regard to tornado damage. Please contact me if you need assistance resolving issues with your company.
Road Construction – Last month I reported on a meeting I held with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) concerning road construction projects across District 2. I continue to work with state, county and city leaders on road construction. This month I attended the MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) meeting in Huntsville. Members of the MPO include Chair of the Madison County Commission and Mayors of Huntsville and Madison. I made a brief statement to the committee concerning growth in our area, acknowledging that we remain significantly behind on road projects to handle the increased growth. Respectful of the committee’s time, I only mentioned three specific areas of concern in my comments: 1) Old Madison Pike in and out of Research Park, 2) Hwy 72 between Wall Triana Hwy and County Line Road (specifically the increased traffic patterns between the new Target store on the south side of Hwy 72 in Madison, the new Madison Hospital, and the new Wal-Mart store on the north side of Hwy 72 in Huntsville) and 3) the importance of involving Limestone County officials and residents when planning road development of incorporated areas of Huntsville and Madison in Limestone County. I’m committed to working with leaders across the region to ensure our area receives its fair share of road construction funding and that the funding is allocated in an equitable fashion.
Contract Review Committee - As Chairman of the Joint Legislative Contract Review Committee I had become increasingly concerned with the number of personal services contracts that were being awarded to out of state companies. My concerns were confirmed through a report I requested on contracts awarded for the first six months of 2011. A total of 332 personal services contracts valued at $88.4M have been awarded during the time frame. Only 59 of these were awarded to out of state companies but the total dollar value of those 58 contracts equals $45M; just over half of the total value of contracts awarded. Additionally, of the $45M awarded, $25M was sourced from federal funding allocated to Alabama. I fully understand that some of the contracts awarded to out of state companies end up employing Alabamians. However, my principal concern is that businesses located in Alabama are not fully aware of state contracting opportunities. This is an area that I want to develop further within the state.
I sent a letter to Governor Bentley in August to elevate my concerns with contracts awarded by the state in the past six months. The letter and report can be viewed here. Additionally, the letter requests that the Governor's Office reinforce with contracting award authority that the current Code of Alabama allows for a preferred vendor status for businesses located in Alabama. This status allows a contract to be awarded to an Alabama company whose bid is within 5% of a competing bid from an out of state company. My goal is simply to help Alabama businesses employ Alabamians. The budgeting process allocates funding to the state's needs but the contract process obligates funding. I understand the relationship between these two functions and I'm fortunate to be a member of both the General Fund Committee and the Contract Review Committee. I look forward to working with the Governor's administration and fellow legislators on this matter.
Time Sheet – Have you ever wondered what your Senator does during the month? In August I decided to track my appointments regarding my Senate duties. I downloaded a Time Sheet application for my smart phone and used this to monitor my time. I recommend the free application as a simple tool to track your time allocation throughout the month. It is fully customizable and I grouped my time into three categories: Meetings, Travel and Admin. Meetings are self explanatory but for travel I only tracked travel in distances greater than 30 minutes. In other words, shorter trips between Madison and Athens or Madison and Huntsville were not captured. Admin includes emails and phone calls but incidental calls were not tracked (although these can easily consume 10 – 15 minutes). Rather, I only tracked administrative time where I deliberately sat down and returned emails or phone calls. I found it interesting that 146 hours were logged in August; an average of almost 5 hours a day over the 31 days in the month. I plan to track September’s hours as well. You can view the August spreadsheet here.
Immigration Law Update – I’m not privy to any more information than anyone else, but from what I’ve read in printed reports….reading the Tea Leaves so to speak, I’m a little encouraged and somewhat concerned by Judge Blackburn’s initial rulings on Alabama’s immigration law:
On one point, Judge Blackburn said it is not a crime, but rather a civil matter, to be in the United States unlawfully – Concerning.
On another point, Judge Blackburn said she doubted church leaders or members would be prosecuted for church-related services. "The bishops saying it is so and believing it doesn't make it so," Blackburn said – Encouraging.
Finally, Judge Blackburn wrote concerning her decision to delay enforcement for up to 30 days - "In entering this motion the court specifically notes it is in no way addressing the merits of the motions’. Encouraging, again.
I was surprised that the attorney for the Justice Department argued that the U.S. Constitution and laws enacted by Congress leave the field of immigration enforcement to the federal government…now if only they would only enforce it!
High School Football Tickets – I touched on the Alabama/Auburn football tickets in the August Newsletter - the hoopla surrounding legislators being offered free football tickets in years past resulted in the legislature making it illegal to accept them. Interpretation of that law has resulted in some unintended consequences, impacting local high school football tickets. Ethics reform laws specifically ban free admission to a sporting event offered by an educational institution to anyone other than faculty, staff or administration of the institution. Was it our intent for the law to have the impact it has had at the local level – No.? But ethics reform was long overdue in Alabama and the net was cast far and wide when we passed the law so as to close possible loopholes.
The State Ethics Commission continues to work on this and the application to high school events across the state. I trust they will provide sound guidance to the school systems. In my view the law was not intended to prevent teachers from attending the games free of charge as this is an extension of what they do for the students.
Of note, I always bought tickets to attend a game (football, basketball, etc; and my daughters volleyball games), even when a member of the Madison City Council. I will continue to do so as the schools and their programs need my support, even at the ticket gate.
I supported this legislation based on the simple fact that “Senator Bill Holtzclaw” should not benefit from that title anymore than “Citizen Bill Holtzclaw” should. In other words, in any matter that the general public would not benefit an elected or appointed official should not benefit. If the public pays for admission – so should we.
Update; Alabama Federation of Republican Women Report – The Alabama Federation of Republican Women (AFRW) published a report of voting records on key legislation from the 2011 session in June. I discussed in the July newsletter that the report inaccurately reported my vote on closing the DROP program. I want to thank the AFRW President for correcting the report. Read the revised report here.
Public Meetings and Events – I attended several public meetings and events across the district during August. Some of the events attended include the Madison County Annual ALFA meeting, the Marshall Space Flight Center Directors update, the Republican Women of Huntsville meeting, a tour of the Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant site, a tour of several farms in Madison County in conjunction with the ALFA annual conference in Huntsville. I also attended meetings concerning the Athens Limestone Hospital, the monthly Athens Veteran’s Museum Coffee Call and was able to participate in the Limestone County Department of Human Resources annual school supply drive, helping pack supplies and distribute to residents. I enjoyed touring the DHR facility and visiting with just about every staff member that day. I attended the Ardmore Quarterback Car Show, always a great event, and participated in the first graduation ceremony of the Young Marines in Madison. I did several radio interviews during the month including Dale Jackson Show on WVNN, Toni and Gary on WBHP and even joined Rep Dan Williams for his radio show on WKAC. I attended the public ALDOT meeting regarding new plans for the interchange at County Line Road and I-565. I joined Congressman Mo Brooks and spoke at a welcome home reception for Kilo Battery, the local Marine Corps Reserve unit that returned from Afghanistan earlier this month. I also joined Rep Dan Williams in presenting a grant to the Ardmore Band allowing them to fund travel for the band to attend away games this season. I attended a meeting coordinated by the Agriculture Commissioner with local farmers concerning the immigration law and its impact on the farming industry. I attended several events while Governor Bentley was in North Alabama to include economic development meetings and a ribbon cutting for the new Robotics Center at Calhoun Community College. I was honored to provide legislative greetings at the Athens State Summer Graduation ceremony.
That’s all for this month - I hope everyone is enjoying the new school year. Watching high school football and seeing the bands perform at halftime is one of my favorite things about this time of year. I hope to see you at one of the games in the weeks ahead. I plan to attend a game at a different high school each Friday night throughout this month. I also plan to run a couple of road races this month: the Redstone Arsenal 9.11K commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and the Keep Athens - Limestone County Beautiful (KALB) Duck & Run 5K on Sept 17th. Perhaps I'll see you on the course!
Semper Fi
Bill
Tornado Recovery – As a member of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee I recently attended a tour of the Insurance Institute for Building and Home Safety (IBHS), located in Richburg, SC. I joined other members of the Banking and Insurance Committee and the Insurance Commissioners from Alabama and Mississippi for the tour.
The intent of the tour was to demonstrate the facilities commitment for developing improved building designs that increase the survivability of dwellings in high risk weather areas. We were able to watch a full scale test of a severe thunderstorm with wind gusts exceeding 45 MPH along with driving rain. The test was conducted on a full scale housing duplex, constructed specifically for the event, inside the facilities test chamber. You can watch the test here. We saw firsthand the significance of incorporating simple, reinforcement and water prevention measures on new and existing homes that can mitigate the effects of wind and rain storms. The Institute has developed a program called FORTIFIED for Existing Homes. The program incorporates superior construction techniques and is designed to help strengthen existing homes through a systemic, step-by-step approach to retrofitting a home to significantly reduce or prevent damage from specific natural hazards. The Institute for Building and Home Safety’s website contains extensive information for consumers, builders and elected officials. The site is located at www.disastersafety.org.
I support these measures from a volunteer standpoint – in other words, consumers need to be aware of these options but they should not be mandated through legislation. A long term goal is to have insurance companies recognize that a consumer has incorporated these measures and provide a premium discount. Similarly, the mortgage industry could recognize these measures as an asset to a home – similar to any other upgrade – and include in appraisals.
I continue to help families interact with their insurance agencies with regard to tornado damage. Please contact me if you need assistance resolving issues with your company.
Road Construction – Last month I reported on a meeting I held with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) concerning road construction projects across District 2. I continue to work with state, county and city leaders on road construction. This month I attended the MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) meeting in Huntsville. Members of the MPO include Chair of the Madison County Commission and Mayors of Huntsville and Madison. I made a brief statement to the committee concerning growth in our area, acknowledging that we remain significantly behind on road projects to handle the increased growth. Respectful of the committee’s time, I only mentioned three specific areas of concern in my comments: 1) Old Madison Pike in and out of Research Park, 2) Hwy 72 between Wall Triana Hwy and County Line Road (specifically the increased traffic patterns between the new Target store on the south side of Hwy 72 in Madison, the new Madison Hospital, and the new Wal-Mart store on the north side of Hwy 72 in Huntsville) and 3) the importance of involving Limestone County officials and residents when planning road development of incorporated areas of Huntsville and Madison in Limestone County. I’m committed to working with leaders across the region to ensure our area receives its fair share of road construction funding and that the funding is allocated in an equitable fashion.
Contract Review Committee - As Chairman of the Joint Legislative Contract Review Committee I had become increasingly concerned with the number of personal services contracts that were being awarded to out of state companies. My concerns were confirmed through a report I requested on contracts awarded for the first six months of 2011. A total of 332 personal services contracts valued at $88.4M have been awarded during the time frame. Only 59 of these were awarded to out of state companies but the total dollar value of those 58 contracts equals $45M; just over half of the total value of contracts awarded. Additionally, of the $45M awarded, $25M was sourced from federal funding allocated to Alabama. I fully understand that some of the contracts awarded to out of state companies end up employing Alabamians. However, my principal concern is that businesses located in Alabama are not fully aware of state contracting opportunities. This is an area that I want to develop further within the state.
I sent a letter to Governor Bentley in August to elevate my concerns with contracts awarded by the state in the past six months. The letter and report can be viewed here. Additionally, the letter requests that the Governor's Office reinforce with contracting award authority that the current Code of Alabama allows for a preferred vendor status for businesses located in Alabama. This status allows a contract to be awarded to an Alabama company whose bid is within 5% of a competing bid from an out of state company. My goal is simply to help Alabama businesses employ Alabamians. The budgeting process allocates funding to the state's needs but the contract process obligates funding. I understand the relationship between these two functions and I'm fortunate to be a member of both the General Fund Committee and the Contract Review Committee. I look forward to working with the Governor's administration and fellow legislators on this matter.
Time Sheet – Have you ever wondered what your Senator does during the month? In August I decided to track my appointments regarding my Senate duties. I downloaded a Time Sheet application for my smart phone and used this to monitor my time. I recommend the free application as a simple tool to track your time allocation throughout the month. It is fully customizable and I grouped my time into three categories: Meetings, Travel and Admin. Meetings are self explanatory but for travel I only tracked travel in distances greater than 30 minutes. In other words, shorter trips between Madison and Athens or Madison and Huntsville were not captured. Admin includes emails and phone calls but incidental calls were not tracked (although these can easily consume 10 – 15 minutes). Rather, I only tracked administrative time where I deliberately sat down and returned emails or phone calls. I found it interesting that 146 hours were logged in August; an average of almost 5 hours a day over the 31 days in the month. I plan to track September’s hours as well. You can view the August spreadsheet here.
Immigration Law Update – I’m not privy to any more information than anyone else, but from what I’ve read in printed reports….reading the Tea Leaves so to speak, I’m a little encouraged and somewhat concerned by Judge Blackburn’s initial rulings on Alabama’s immigration law:
On one point, Judge Blackburn said it is not a crime, but rather a civil matter, to be in the United States unlawfully – Concerning.
On another point, Judge Blackburn said she doubted church leaders or members would be prosecuted for church-related services. "The bishops saying it is so and believing it doesn't make it so," Blackburn said – Encouraging.
Finally, Judge Blackburn wrote concerning her decision to delay enforcement for up to 30 days - "In entering this motion the court specifically notes it is in no way addressing the merits of the motions’. Encouraging, again.
I was surprised that the attorney for the Justice Department argued that the U.S. Constitution and laws enacted by Congress leave the field of immigration enforcement to the federal government…now if only they would only enforce it!
High School Football Tickets – I touched on the Alabama/Auburn football tickets in the August Newsletter - the hoopla surrounding legislators being offered free football tickets in years past resulted in the legislature making it illegal to accept them. Interpretation of that law has resulted in some unintended consequences, impacting local high school football tickets. Ethics reform laws specifically ban free admission to a sporting event offered by an educational institution to anyone other than faculty, staff or administration of the institution. Was it our intent for the law to have the impact it has had at the local level – No.? But ethics reform was long overdue in Alabama and the net was cast far and wide when we passed the law so as to close possible loopholes.
The State Ethics Commission continues to work on this and the application to high school events across the state. I trust they will provide sound guidance to the school systems. In my view the law was not intended to prevent teachers from attending the games free of charge as this is an extension of what they do for the students.
Of note, I always bought tickets to attend a game (football, basketball, etc; and my daughters volleyball games), even when a member of the Madison City Council. I will continue to do so as the schools and their programs need my support, even at the ticket gate.
I supported this legislation based on the simple fact that “Senator Bill Holtzclaw” should not benefit from that title anymore than “Citizen Bill Holtzclaw” should. In other words, in any matter that the general public would not benefit an elected or appointed official should not benefit. If the public pays for admission – so should we.
Update; Alabama Federation of Republican Women Report – The Alabama Federation of Republican Women (AFRW) published a report of voting records on key legislation from the 2011 session in June. I discussed in the July newsletter that the report inaccurately reported my vote on closing the DROP program. I want to thank the AFRW President for correcting the report. Read the revised report here.
Public Meetings and Events – I attended several public meetings and events across the district during August. Some of the events attended include the Madison County Annual ALFA meeting, the Marshall Space Flight Center Directors update, the Republican Women of Huntsville meeting, a tour of the Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant site, a tour of several farms in Madison County in conjunction with the ALFA annual conference in Huntsville. I also attended meetings concerning the Athens Limestone Hospital, the monthly Athens Veteran’s Museum Coffee Call and was able to participate in the Limestone County Department of Human Resources annual school supply drive, helping pack supplies and distribute to residents. I enjoyed touring the DHR facility and visiting with just about every staff member that day. I attended the Ardmore Quarterback Car Show, always a great event, and participated in the first graduation ceremony of the Young Marines in Madison. I did several radio interviews during the month including Dale Jackson Show on WVNN, Toni and Gary on WBHP and even joined Rep Dan Williams for his radio show on WKAC. I attended the public ALDOT meeting regarding new plans for the interchange at County Line Road and I-565. I joined Congressman Mo Brooks and spoke at a welcome home reception for Kilo Battery, the local Marine Corps Reserve unit that returned from Afghanistan earlier this month. I also joined Rep Dan Williams in presenting a grant to the Ardmore Band allowing them to fund travel for the band to attend away games this season. I attended a meeting coordinated by the Agriculture Commissioner with local farmers concerning the immigration law and its impact on the farming industry. I attended several events while Governor Bentley was in North Alabama to include economic development meetings and a ribbon cutting for the new Robotics Center at Calhoun Community College. I was honored to provide legislative greetings at the Athens State Summer Graduation ceremony.
That’s all for this month - I hope everyone is enjoying the new school year. Watching high school football and seeing the bands perform at halftime is one of my favorite things about this time of year. I hope to see you at one of the games in the weeks ahead. I plan to attend a game at a different high school each Friday night throughout this month. I also plan to run a couple of road races this month: the Redstone Arsenal 9.11K commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and the Keep Athens - Limestone County Beautiful (KALB) Duck & Run 5K on Sept 17th. Perhaps I'll see you on the course!
Semper Fi
Bill
July 2011 Senate District 2 Newsletter
This is the first newsletter since the end of the 2011 legislative session which concluded on June the 9th. The last newsletter was posted in March, just before the session began. Regular readers know that I blogged virtually every day during the special session (December 2010) and the Regular Session (March – June 2011). I will continue to publish a monthly newsletter until we return to session in 2012. Feel free to email me should you have comments or questions.
Sales Tax Holiday – Just in time for Back to School shopping; I’m proud to have supported the state wide sales tax holiday occurring Aug 5th – Aug 7th. Several municipalities are also participating in the event which allows certain purchases to be made tax free. The Cities of Athens, Madison and Huntsville are participating. Click here for a reference sheet concerning what purchases qualify for the sales tax holiday.
Tornado Recovery – I continue to help families interact with their insurance agencies with regard to tornado damage. Please contact me if you are having problems resolving issues with your company.
Caylee's Law – I’ve received a few emails requesting support for creating “Caylee’s Law” in the aftermath of the recent trail. Representative J. Givan (D – Jefferson County) has pre- filed a bill making not reporting a child's death or disappearance a felony. The earliest this bill can be addressed is when the legislature returns to session in the spring of 2012. The law makes it a felony for a parent, legal guardian, or caretaker to not notify law enforcement of the disappearance of a child within 24 hours, so proper steps can be taken to find that child before it's too late.
Road Construction – I recently met with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) concerning road construction projects across District 2. One thing I’ve quickly learned is that funding for road projects is about as convoluted as education funding but it is important to understand how federal, state and local dollars all come together to support various projects. It is also important to understand that months of planning and hundreds of thousands of dollars can be spent on engineering before the actual construction phase begins. Of course it is the actual construction phase where we “see” progress.
With that in mind I’m providing a report from ALDOT detailing the status of road projects in District 2 (the projects listed are in no specific order). Additionally, there is an upcoming public hearing scheduled for 16 August from 5-7 PM at Heritage Elementary School on County Line Rd in Madison to view changes to the I-565 and County Line Rd Interchange.
Several projects in the district are moving ahead quite well. Repaving of Hwy 99 from Athens to the Lauderdale County Line is well underway. The Research Park Blvd overpass construction at Hwy 53 and the four-lane widening of Hwy 53 north to the state line continue to progress well. The Blake Bottom Overpass remains a concern but readers will note in the report that this project is listed, albeit several years off. I plan to meet with Huntsville Mayor Battle in the weeks ahead in order to better provide an update on local projects such as Old Madison Pike (crossing Indian Creek) at Slaughter Rd. I will continue to work with state, county and city leaders to provide updates on road construction projects. This is an area that we remain significantly behind on and I’m committed to not only keeping constituents informed on project status but also working to ensure our area receives its fair share of construction funding.
Immigration Law – In early June I attended a “Faith Based Response” to the new immigration law. Overall, my attendance at the meeting was well received and I’ve been invited to participate in the crafting of a study guide for churches to use in discussing the new law. Hopefully the end result will remain as a biblically based, middle of the road overview.
My message then, as it is now, is for everyone to review the law and become familiar with what the law states. Early on there was a significant amount of misinterpretation – some blatantly intentional so as to fan the flames of opposition through fear and intimidation. This has been greatly reduced now that people have had a chance to review the law. It was certainly no surprise when lawsuits were filed, attempting to derail or delay enforcing the law. This tactic is simply modeled after similar attempts to stop the laws enacted by other states.
My support for the immigration law is based on the fact that the federal government continues to do little to address the problems associated with illegal immigration. As I’ve stated in numerous interviews legal immigration is not the problem - legal immigration is embraced. Anyone that wants to come to this state or this nation and be a part of this melting pot of freedoms that we all enjoy through a legal process is embraced and welcomed. It is the illegal immigration part that is problematic. Alabama is now one of 5 states that have passed an illegal immigration law. The last thing we need is 50 states with 50 individual laws assisting the federal government in enforcing immigration laws. But as more states pass such laws, pressure will increase through congressional delegations for the federal government to enforce the law.
Auburn/Alabama Football Tickets – Remember the hoopla surrounding legislators being offered (and some accepting) football tickets in 2010? Well, we closed the loop on that with legislation during the Special Session – essentially making it illegal to receive them free. But this year we received what I call “head of the line” privilege letters from both universities. While certainly within the confines of the new ethics law, I maintain this is patently wrong. If “Joe Citizen, Bill Holtzclaw” were to call either university, asking for season tickets, he would be placed on a waiting list…a very, very, long waiting list. I refuse to use my legislative position for personal gain…even breaking in line to purchase season tickets. I chose not to return letters to the universities, securing my season ticket package and instead will continue getting tickets the way we always have. We attend a couple of home games each year, getting tickets online from Stub-Hub, or purchase tickets from long-time friends who are unable to use theirs.
Senior Centers – I always enjoy visiting the local Senior Centers. I realize few seniors have access to, or the desire for computers…they are so wise! With this in mind I had my blog reformatted and printed into small booklets. I’ve distributed them to each Senior Center across the district as a means to help keep our seniors informed of the legislative session. As most readers know, my blog is very similar to a diary, or journal and I’ve received some great feedback from the many seniors who’ve read it.
Public Meetings and Events – I routinely attend various public meetings across the district. Some of the monthly meetings I’ve attended or spoken at in recent weeks include the Limestone County Realtors meeting, the Madison City Chamber of Commerce meeting, the Athens Veteran’s Museum Coffee Call, the Madison County Volunteer Fire Departments meeting, the Limestone County Chamber Coffee and the Limestone County Economic Development Board Meeting. In addition, Senator Author Orr, Dan Williams and I held a coffee and conversation at Mac’s Restaurant in Athens in July. We had a great turn out with some great conversation. We are planning another community forum later this year for Limestone County. This will be modeled after the annual forum held in Madison County, prior to each legislative session. This is a great opportunity for legislators to hear, first-hand from constituents. I’ll provide details on when and where the forums will be held in the coming months.
Alabama Federation of Republican Women Report – The Alabama Federation of Republican Women (AFRW) published a report of voting records on key legislation in June. You can view the report here. Problem is the report contains an inaccuracy regarding my vote (see page 6 and 7). The report implies that I chose not to vote on a bill that closed the DROP program. This was a great surprise to regular readers of the daily blog that I maintained during the session as I clearly laid out my thoughts and supporting votes on the matter. I have been contacted by several people regarding the inaccuracy of my vote depicted in the report, requesting clarification on the conflicting information; which I provide here. Of note, I’ve spoken with the leadership of the AFRW and requested they publish a revised version, but to no avail as of this newsletter posting. I support those organizations that work to hold legislators accountable to their votes, but am not shy about holding them accountable to providing accurate information to their membership regarding such. Anything less, discredits the importance of their work.
Broad Band Survey – Connecting Alabama is conducting the annual Broadband Consumer Survey. You can participate in the survey at this link. Your responses will help inform state and business leaders about broadband/high speed internet needs in Alabama. The survey is entirely anonymous but participants can qualify for a $500 drawing which will be held 31 August 2011.
Boards and Commissions – I’ve been appointed to several State-Wide Commissions and look forward to serving on them. Recent appointments include Lt. Governor Ivey appointing me to the Children in State Care Joint Legislative Committee and another from Senate President Pro Temp Marsh appointing me to the Alabama Job Creation and Military Stability Commission.
That’s all for now. I hope everyone has a safe summer. Please remember that schools will be starting back soon so watch for children walkng in the neighborhoods, at bus stops and in school zones.
Semper Fi
Bill
Sales Tax Holiday – Just in time for Back to School shopping; I’m proud to have supported the state wide sales tax holiday occurring Aug 5th – Aug 7th. Several municipalities are also participating in the event which allows certain purchases to be made tax free. The Cities of Athens, Madison and Huntsville are participating. Click here for a reference sheet concerning what purchases qualify for the sales tax holiday.
Tornado Recovery – I continue to help families interact with their insurance agencies with regard to tornado damage. Please contact me if you are having problems resolving issues with your company.
Caylee's Law – I’ve received a few emails requesting support for creating “Caylee’s Law” in the aftermath of the recent trail. Representative J. Givan (D – Jefferson County) has pre- filed a bill making not reporting a child's death or disappearance a felony. The earliest this bill can be addressed is when the legislature returns to session in the spring of 2012. The law makes it a felony for a parent, legal guardian, or caretaker to not notify law enforcement of the disappearance of a child within 24 hours, so proper steps can be taken to find that child before it's too late.
Road Construction – I recently met with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) concerning road construction projects across District 2. One thing I’ve quickly learned is that funding for road projects is about as convoluted as education funding but it is important to understand how federal, state and local dollars all come together to support various projects. It is also important to understand that months of planning and hundreds of thousands of dollars can be spent on engineering before the actual construction phase begins. Of course it is the actual construction phase where we “see” progress.
With that in mind I’m providing a report from ALDOT detailing the status of road projects in District 2 (the projects listed are in no specific order). Additionally, there is an upcoming public hearing scheduled for 16 August from 5-7 PM at Heritage Elementary School on County Line Rd in Madison to view changes to the I-565 and County Line Rd Interchange.
Several projects in the district are moving ahead quite well. Repaving of Hwy 99 from Athens to the Lauderdale County Line is well underway. The Research Park Blvd overpass construction at Hwy 53 and the four-lane widening of Hwy 53 north to the state line continue to progress well. The Blake Bottom Overpass remains a concern but readers will note in the report that this project is listed, albeit several years off. I plan to meet with Huntsville Mayor Battle in the weeks ahead in order to better provide an update on local projects such as Old Madison Pike (crossing Indian Creek) at Slaughter Rd. I will continue to work with state, county and city leaders to provide updates on road construction projects. This is an area that we remain significantly behind on and I’m committed to not only keeping constituents informed on project status but also working to ensure our area receives its fair share of construction funding.
Immigration Law – In early June I attended a “Faith Based Response” to the new immigration law. Overall, my attendance at the meeting was well received and I’ve been invited to participate in the crafting of a study guide for churches to use in discussing the new law. Hopefully the end result will remain as a biblically based, middle of the road overview.
My message then, as it is now, is for everyone to review the law and become familiar with what the law states. Early on there was a significant amount of misinterpretation – some blatantly intentional so as to fan the flames of opposition through fear and intimidation. This has been greatly reduced now that people have had a chance to review the law. It was certainly no surprise when lawsuits were filed, attempting to derail or delay enforcing the law. This tactic is simply modeled after similar attempts to stop the laws enacted by other states.
My support for the immigration law is based on the fact that the federal government continues to do little to address the problems associated with illegal immigration. As I’ve stated in numerous interviews legal immigration is not the problem - legal immigration is embraced. Anyone that wants to come to this state or this nation and be a part of this melting pot of freedoms that we all enjoy through a legal process is embraced and welcomed. It is the illegal immigration part that is problematic. Alabama is now one of 5 states that have passed an illegal immigration law. The last thing we need is 50 states with 50 individual laws assisting the federal government in enforcing immigration laws. But as more states pass such laws, pressure will increase through congressional delegations for the federal government to enforce the law.
Auburn/Alabama Football Tickets – Remember the hoopla surrounding legislators being offered (and some accepting) football tickets in 2010? Well, we closed the loop on that with legislation during the Special Session – essentially making it illegal to receive them free. But this year we received what I call “head of the line” privilege letters from both universities. While certainly within the confines of the new ethics law, I maintain this is patently wrong. If “Joe Citizen, Bill Holtzclaw” were to call either university, asking for season tickets, he would be placed on a waiting list…a very, very, long waiting list. I refuse to use my legislative position for personal gain…even breaking in line to purchase season tickets. I chose not to return letters to the universities, securing my season ticket package and instead will continue getting tickets the way we always have. We attend a couple of home games each year, getting tickets online from Stub-Hub, or purchase tickets from long-time friends who are unable to use theirs.
Senior Centers – I always enjoy visiting the local Senior Centers. I realize few seniors have access to, or the desire for computers…they are so wise! With this in mind I had my blog reformatted and printed into small booklets. I’ve distributed them to each Senior Center across the district as a means to help keep our seniors informed of the legislative session. As most readers know, my blog is very similar to a diary, or journal and I’ve received some great feedback from the many seniors who’ve read it.
Public Meetings and Events – I routinely attend various public meetings across the district. Some of the monthly meetings I’ve attended or spoken at in recent weeks include the Limestone County Realtors meeting, the Madison City Chamber of Commerce meeting, the Athens Veteran’s Museum Coffee Call, the Madison County Volunteer Fire Departments meeting, the Limestone County Chamber Coffee and the Limestone County Economic Development Board Meeting. In addition, Senator Author Orr, Dan Williams and I held a coffee and conversation at Mac’s Restaurant in Athens in July. We had a great turn out with some great conversation. We are planning another community forum later this year for Limestone County. This will be modeled after the annual forum held in Madison County, prior to each legislative session. This is a great opportunity for legislators to hear, first-hand from constituents. I’ll provide details on when and where the forums will be held in the coming months.
Alabama Federation of Republican Women Report – The Alabama Federation of Republican Women (AFRW) published a report of voting records on key legislation in June. You can view the report here. Problem is the report contains an inaccuracy regarding my vote (see page 6 and 7). The report implies that I chose not to vote on a bill that closed the DROP program. This was a great surprise to regular readers of the daily blog that I maintained during the session as I clearly laid out my thoughts and supporting votes on the matter. I have been contacted by several people regarding the inaccuracy of my vote depicted in the report, requesting clarification on the conflicting information; which I provide here. Of note, I’ve spoken with the leadership of the AFRW and requested they publish a revised version, but to no avail as of this newsletter posting. I support those organizations that work to hold legislators accountable to their votes, but am not shy about holding them accountable to providing accurate information to their membership regarding such. Anything less, discredits the importance of their work.
Broad Band Survey – Connecting Alabama is conducting the annual Broadband Consumer Survey. You can participate in the survey at this link. Your responses will help inform state and business leaders about broadband/high speed internet needs in Alabama. The survey is entirely anonymous but participants can qualify for a $500 drawing which will be held 31 August 2011.
Boards and Commissions – I’ve been appointed to several State-Wide Commissions and look forward to serving on them. Recent appointments include Lt. Governor Ivey appointing me to the Children in State Care Joint Legislative Committee and another from Senate President Pro Temp Marsh appointing me to the Alabama Job Creation and Military Stability Commission.
That’s all for now. I hope everyone has a safe summer. Please remember that schools will be starting back soon so watch for children walkng in the neighborhoods, at bus stops and in school zones.
Semper Fi
Bill
February 2011 Newsletter
Spring is certainly in the air today as I sit on the patio wrapping up this month’s newsletter while our puppy chases squirrels in the back yard. With spring comes the start of the 2011 Session for the Alabama Legislature, which will convene at noon on Tuesday, March 1st. I ask for your continued prayers as your legislative delegation starts work on what will prove to be a very challenging session. Prayers for wisdom, discernment, patience, and safe travel are greatly appreciated. Prayers to watch over our families we leave behind as we travel to Montgomery to do the people’s business are also greatly appreciated.
As a reminder, my plan is to post a newsletter during the months we are not in session and to blog daily, or as often as possible during the months that we are in session. You can follow the blog at this link.
Highlights from February include:
Moving Into The State House - In late January I moved into my office in Montgomery. The state provides adequate furniture but I wanted different furniture to give the office a more homey appeal. Based on the 2011 budget (passed in 2010 by the previous administration) Senators are allotted a $5,400 annual budget for their office, some of which can be used for furniture (of note, unused funds will now be returned to the State General Fund rather than the Pro Tem's Office). Rather than purchasing new furniture I decided to live by the example I would want followed and recycled furniture from our home to use in Montgomery – at no cost to taxpayers, my office feels like home. Special thanks to Ted and Dave for providing the muscle to move me in.
Contract Review Committee – Lt Gov Kay Ivey appointed me to the Contract Review Committee in early February – a nice fit to my NASA and DOD contracting background. I was elected Chair of the Committee at our first meeting by my peers. This committee reviews state contracts valued at over $1,500 and meets monthly in Montgomery. My colleagues and I are excited about refining the way the state does contracting; increasing competition and creating opportunities for Alabama businesses.
Speaking Opportunities – I had several opportunities to meet and speak with groups this month. I spoke to a group of students at Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) in Huntsville. I was also invited to speak at the Athens Rotary Club and Representative Phil Williams and I spoke with a group of residents from The Village of Providence. The entire Madison County Legislative delegation hosted a public forum in early February where we listened to concerns and interacted with several residents.
Events – I was able to attend several events across the district this month. I attended the Monthly Coffee Call at the Athens Veteran’s Museum (a true jewel of North Alabama if you’ve never attended). I was able to stop by the Limestone County VFD Association annual meeting but had to leave shortly before dinner was served to attend a previous commitment at the Riley Center Gala supporting autism awareness. Hopefully these two events won’t be on the same night next year. I attended the Jobs Forum at UAH hosted by State Rep Phil Williams, a Madison County Mental Health Department update and a Limestone County Legislative Forum hosted by the Athens/ Limestone County Chamber of Commerce.
Limestone County Legislative Delegation Forum - Last month I mentioned the Limestone County delegation hosting a forum similar to the one held in Madison County. Collectively, we continue to work out the details on holding such a forum – a first for Limestone County. We are looking at late March/early April as the session is about to start. I’ll continue to keep everyone posted on the progress of getting everyone’s calendar aligned and setting this up.
Community Meetings and Tours – I continue to tour various facilities around District 2. I visited the Monrovia Community Center and Library, the Limestone County Prison and visited with the vice-mayor and several council members in Ardmore.
Road Project Meetings – Two meetings are planned for March concerning road projects in District 2. The first meeting concerns Old Madison Pike Widening - A meeting has been scheduled by ALDOT for public comments concerning the widening of Old Madison Pike at Slaughter Road (Research Park and the Indian Creek Bridge). The meeting is scheduled for 1 March from 5 - 7 PM at Pope John Paul II Catholic High School in the multipurpose room at 7310 Old Madison Pike, Huntsville. I am unable to attend this meeting as I will be in Montgomery for the legislative session. The second meeting concerns a Research Park Blvd Overpass Meeting - A meeting has been scheduled by a group of concerned citizens with area legislators concerning an overpass at Blake Bottom Rd and Research Park. This meeting will be held on Monday, 7 March at 6:30 PM at the Monrovia Community Center. I will attend and encourage others to do so.
Animal Shelter Gas Chamber Ban – I attended a meeting with several area legislators hosted by a veterinarian group from Limestone County concerning legislation that would ban the use of gas chambers in animal shelters across Alabama as a means to euthanize dogs and cats. From what I understand, these chambers are used in approximately 7 locations across the state by county animal shelters. I fully support this legislation in its current form.
Illegal Immigration – I met with five Senators and two House of Representatives members along with several other officials for a tour of parts of DeKalb and Marshall Counties focused on illegal immigration concerns. This is a hotbed for everything that surrounds illegal immigration – extreme poverty, drugs, prostitution, deplorable living conditions, and increased drain on social services (education/healthcare). What we saw firsthand will help frame our legislative intent moving forward. I will proudly co-sponsor legislation modeled after what several other states have passed to ensure Alabama embraces legal immigration and boldly stand against illegal immigration.
Budget Hearings – I attended several days of budget hearings in Montgomery during early February. This will be one of our greatest challenges in the 2011 session. Following links are to the state website where you can view the same presentations the legislature received (Department of Finance and Legislative Fiscal Office). Governor Bentley will present his “State of the State” address and present his proposed budget to the legislature next week.
Hiring from across the Aisle – I received several phone calls and emails concerning the appointment of former democrats appointed to offices in the new administration. Up front I want share that the Governor is not required to vet his administrative appointments through the caucus. I’ll admit, I was a little surprised by a couple of the appointments but will hold further comment until we see how everyone performs in their new role. One appointment, the hiring of a Public Relations firm for the Senate Republican Caucus caused a bit of a stir. This decision was reversed after some internal discussion which I believe will prove healthy to the caucus in the long term.
Supporting Education - I attended several meetings at schools across the district this month. I attended a meeting and tour of Blue Springs Elementary School with the Limestone County Board of Ed and Superintendent. I also attended the Huntsville City School Board Legislative update and a state-wide education symposium in Hoover hosted by the Alabama Association of School Boards and School Superintendents of Alabama along with other education business and leadership support groups. I attended an awards presentation for Mill Creek Elementary School for a National Physical Education award. I also ran a 5K at Grissom HS hosted by the JROTC, supporting the Wounded Warrior Program. One thing is for sure, with all the breakfast, lunch and dinners I’m attending I need to continue running 5Ks. Please let me know if your organization is hosting one – I’ll support as time allows.
Bath Salts – Who would’ve thought people would attempt to get high on bath salts…I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised in this day and age. Concern over Bath Salts came to light from several sources and I met with Pharmacy Board concerning Bath Salts in early February. After a lot of behind the scenes work by several legislators the Alabama Department of Public Health was able to ban the possession, use and distribution of bath salts via an emergency rule. We plan to enact legislation to further reinforce the emergency ban. On the same front, a consortium of agencies in Madison County hosted an event for the public to safely dispose of out dated or unused prescription drugs. I visited two of the locations for the prescription drug drop off – in all they collected 800 pounds of prescription medication that may have ended up in the wrong hands. This annual program is a great success and helps curb prescription drug abuse in our communities across the district.
Supporting Local Libraries – Legislators receive a new set of Alabama State Code and Constitution books (a 30 plus volume of books). These are certainly an impressive looking set of hard back books but I question the effectiveness of printing them in this age of computer technology. I can easily do a “keyword” search and browse several volumes at once. What to do with the previous edition? I delivered the set of books to the Ardmore Public Library just last week where I’m certain they’ll be put to good use by an inspiring young lawyer or future legislator!
And finally…introducing
Max and Scout
I’d like to introduce readers to a couple of characters I’ve begun doodling with; Max and Scout. I don’t know how often they will make an appearance in the newsletter or on the front page of the website but for now, I hope you enjoy their conversations. Max is modeled after our free spirited, pound-rescue puppy. Scout is modeled after our wise, old, Japanese fighting fish. The premise is that Scout lives in the office where I work and gets to hear all of my phone conversations during the day. Max plays in the yard all day but in the evening comes inside to catch up with Scout.
As a reminder, my plan is to post a newsletter during the months we are not in session and to blog daily, or as often as possible during the months that we are in session. You can follow the blog at this link.
Highlights from February include:
Moving Into The State House - In late January I moved into my office in Montgomery. The state provides adequate furniture but I wanted different furniture to give the office a more homey appeal. Based on the 2011 budget (passed in 2010 by the previous administration) Senators are allotted a $5,400 annual budget for their office, some of which can be used for furniture (of note, unused funds will now be returned to the State General Fund rather than the Pro Tem's Office). Rather than purchasing new furniture I decided to live by the example I would want followed and recycled furniture from our home to use in Montgomery – at no cost to taxpayers, my office feels like home. Special thanks to Ted and Dave for providing the muscle to move me in.
Contract Review Committee – Lt Gov Kay Ivey appointed me to the Contract Review Committee in early February – a nice fit to my NASA and DOD contracting background. I was elected Chair of the Committee at our first meeting by my peers. This committee reviews state contracts valued at over $1,500 and meets monthly in Montgomery. My colleagues and I are excited about refining the way the state does contracting; increasing competition and creating opportunities for Alabama businesses.
Speaking Opportunities – I had several opportunities to meet and speak with groups this month. I spoke to a group of students at Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) in Huntsville. I was also invited to speak at the Athens Rotary Club and Representative Phil Williams and I spoke with a group of residents from The Village of Providence. The entire Madison County Legislative delegation hosted a public forum in early February where we listened to concerns and interacted with several residents.
Events – I was able to attend several events across the district this month. I attended the Monthly Coffee Call at the Athens Veteran’s Museum (a true jewel of North Alabama if you’ve never attended). I was able to stop by the Limestone County VFD Association annual meeting but had to leave shortly before dinner was served to attend a previous commitment at the Riley Center Gala supporting autism awareness. Hopefully these two events won’t be on the same night next year. I attended the Jobs Forum at UAH hosted by State Rep Phil Williams, a Madison County Mental Health Department update and a Limestone County Legislative Forum hosted by the Athens/ Limestone County Chamber of Commerce.
Limestone County Legislative Delegation Forum - Last month I mentioned the Limestone County delegation hosting a forum similar to the one held in Madison County. Collectively, we continue to work out the details on holding such a forum – a first for Limestone County. We are looking at late March/early April as the session is about to start. I’ll continue to keep everyone posted on the progress of getting everyone’s calendar aligned and setting this up.
Community Meetings and Tours – I continue to tour various facilities around District 2. I visited the Monrovia Community Center and Library, the Limestone County Prison and visited with the vice-mayor and several council members in Ardmore.
Road Project Meetings – Two meetings are planned for March concerning road projects in District 2. The first meeting concerns Old Madison Pike Widening - A meeting has been scheduled by ALDOT for public comments concerning the widening of Old Madison Pike at Slaughter Road (Research Park and the Indian Creek Bridge). The meeting is scheduled for 1 March from 5 - 7 PM at Pope John Paul II Catholic High School in the multipurpose room at 7310 Old Madison Pike, Huntsville. I am unable to attend this meeting as I will be in Montgomery for the legislative session. The second meeting concerns a Research Park Blvd Overpass Meeting - A meeting has been scheduled by a group of concerned citizens with area legislators concerning an overpass at Blake Bottom Rd and Research Park. This meeting will be held on Monday, 7 March at 6:30 PM at the Monrovia Community Center. I will attend and encourage others to do so.
Animal Shelter Gas Chamber Ban – I attended a meeting with several area legislators hosted by a veterinarian group from Limestone County concerning legislation that would ban the use of gas chambers in animal shelters across Alabama as a means to euthanize dogs and cats. From what I understand, these chambers are used in approximately 7 locations across the state by county animal shelters. I fully support this legislation in its current form.
Illegal Immigration – I met with five Senators and two House of Representatives members along with several other officials for a tour of parts of DeKalb and Marshall Counties focused on illegal immigration concerns. This is a hotbed for everything that surrounds illegal immigration – extreme poverty, drugs, prostitution, deplorable living conditions, and increased drain on social services (education/healthcare). What we saw firsthand will help frame our legislative intent moving forward. I will proudly co-sponsor legislation modeled after what several other states have passed to ensure Alabama embraces legal immigration and boldly stand against illegal immigration.
Budget Hearings – I attended several days of budget hearings in Montgomery during early February. This will be one of our greatest challenges in the 2011 session. Following links are to the state website where you can view the same presentations the legislature received (Department of Finance and Legislative Fiscal Office). Governor Bentley will present his “State of the State” address and present his proposed budget to the legislature next week.
Hiring from across the Aisle – I received several phone calls and emails concerning the appointment of former democrats appointed to offices in the new administration. Up front I want share that the Governor is not required to vet his administrative appointments through the caucus. I’ll admit, I was a little surprised by a couple of the appointments but will hold further comment until we see how everyone performs in their new role. One appointment, the hiring of a Public Relations firm for the Senate Republican Caucus caused a bit of a stir. This decision was reversed after some internal discussion which I believe will prove healthy to the caucus in the long term.
Supporting Education - I attended several meetings at schools across the district this month. I attended a meeting and tour of Blue Springs Elementary School with the Limestone County Board of Ed and Superintendent. I also attended the Huntsville City School Board Legislative update and a state-wide education symposium in Hoover hosted by the Alabama Association of School Boards and School Superintendents of Alabama along with other education business and leadership support groups. I attended an awards presentation for Mill Creek Elementary School for a National Physical Education award. I also ran a 5K at Grissom HS hosted by the JROTC, supporting the Wounded Warrior Program. One thing is for sure, with all the breakfast, lunch and dinners I’m attending I need to continue running 5Ks. Please let me know if your organization is hosting one – I’ll support as time allows.
Bath Salts – Who would’ve thought people would attempt to get high on bath salts…I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised in this day and age. Concern over Bath Salts came to light from several sources and I met with Pharmacy Board concerning Bath Salts in early February. After a lot of behind the scenes work by several legislators the Alabama Department of Public Health was able to ban the possession, use and distribution of bath salts via an emergency rule. We plan to enact legislation to further reinforce the emergency ban. On the same front, a consortium of agencies in Madison County hosted an event for the public to safely dispose of out dated or unused prescription drugs. I visited two of the locations for the prescription drug drop off – in all they collected 800 pounds of prescription medication that may have ended up in the wrong hands. This annual program is a great success and helps curb prescription drug abuse in our communities across the district.
Supporting Local Libraries – Legislators receive a new set of Alabama State Code and Constitution books (a 30 plus volume of books). These are certainly an impressive looking set of hard back books but I question the effectiveness of printing them in this age of computer technology. I can easily do a “keyword” search and browse several volumes at once. What to do with the previous edition? I delivered the set of books to the Ardmore Public Library just last week where I’m certain they’ll be put to good use by an inspiring young lawyer or future legislator!
And finally…introducing
Max and Scout
I’d like to introduce readers to a couple of characters I’ve begun doodling with; Max and Scout. I don’t know how often they will make an appearance in the newsletter or on the front page of the website but for now, I hope you enjoy their conversations. Max is modeled after our free spirited, pound-rescue puppy. Scout is modeled after our wise, old, Japanese fighting fish. The premise is that Scout lives in the office where I work and gets to hear all of my phone conversations during the day. Max plays in the yard all day but in the evening comes inside to catch up with Scout.
January 2011 Newsletter
January was an historic and exciting month; I split time between Montgomery and North Alabama. I continue to work on several items with colleagues in preparation for the General Session, which begins on March 1st. Following are some highlights from January and information on upcoming events in February.
Senate Organization - The Organizational Session for the 2011-2014 Quadrennial was held in early January. The leadership positions elected for the Special Session in December were only for that session. By the State Constitution we had to meet again on the second Tuesday in January to elect leadership. This coincided with Governor Bentley’s inauguration. My wife and daughters were able to attend the inauguration and several events in Montgomery making for a very memorable time.
Committee Assignments - during the organizational session I was assigned to the following standing committees:
- Veterans and Military Affairs - Committee Chair
- Banking and Insurance
- Children, Youth Affairs and Human Resources
- Commerce, Transportation and Utilities
- Education Policy
- Finance and Taxation General Fund
- Small Business and Economic Development
- Local Legislation No. 4 (first time this local legislative committee has been formed)
I was also appointed by Lieutenant Governor Ivey to serve on the Contract Review Legislative Oversight Committee and elected by my peers to serve as vice-chair of the Tennessee Valley Caucus.
Stake Holder Meetings - My goal is to meet with as many entities as possible (Mayors and City/Town Councils, Volunteer Fire Departments, Senior Centers, School Boards and Superintendents, County Commissions, Colleges, Limestone Prison and non-profits, etc.) prior to going into the General Session in March. I’ve already met with most of these groups and have scheduled several other meetings. I feel this will prove key as I develop relationships allowing me to have vital “reach back” to North Alabama while in Montgomery. This will allow me to keep the interest of the people of North Alabama balanced with our state as I vote.
Local Meetings and Events – I attended several meetings and events in January, these include: Limestone County Association of Volunteer Fire Dept meeting in Athens, Madison County Children’s Policy Council Meeting in Huntsville, the Huntsville City School Board Meeting, the Boys and Girls Club Annual Awards Lunch, the Athens – Limestone Hospital Open House for Pharmacy improvements, the send off of Kilo Battery, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves in Huntsville as they deployed to support combat operations in Afghanistan. I also attended an Alabama Educator’s Association Summit on Education in Birmingham, participated in the Annual Yearly Improvement assessment at Sparkman High School, and attended the swearing in of Limestone County’s new District Attorney, Brian Jones. I spoke at the Republican Women of Madison’s monthly meeting along with Rep Phil Williams and Rep Mickey Hammons. I attended the Madison State of the City event at the Davidson Center and spoke at a Pro-Life Rally held at the Madison County Court House along with several other legislators. I also attended the North Alabama Prayer Breakfast in Decatur with a virtual who’s – who of North Alabama Politics; Governor Bentley delivered a great message. I participated in a 5 mile run with Capt Cortez, a soldier visiting Huntsville. He was blinded from an explosion during combat operations in Afghanistan but continues to remain on active duty and runs marathons. I also attended the Spirit of Athens awards Luncheon. The Spirit of Athens is focused on preserving historical downtown Athens.
All in all I was able to attend about 70% of the events that I was invited to – I am honored to be invited and I thank you for understanding when I send regrets as I work to attend as many events as possible.
Communication vs. Spam – Communicating with constituents is paramount for me. Talking directly with the people I represent helps me understand their concerns. I know my vote, while a singular vote, is in fact the voice of many. With that in mind I want to share that an original email, phone call or hand written note carries significant weight and is much appreciated. On the other hand, an email that is simply a “copy and paste” with only the sender name having been changed - is legislative spam. Please keep the original thoughts and ideas coming.
February Events:
The North Alabama Legislature Public Forum – The annual public forum for the North Alabama Legislature will be held Monday, February 7th from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Huntsville City Council Chambers Municipal Building at 308 Fountain Circle. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes to express concerns/issues to the entire Madison County Delegation. This meeting is hosted by the Madison County Legislative Delegation.
I think it would be a good idea for a similar meeting with the Limestone County Delegation (Rep Dan Williams, Rep Micky Hammons, Rep Mac McCutheon and Senator Author Orr) and have begun coordinating for such a meeting. I will keep everyone advised if we are successful in scheduling such a meeting in the coming weeks.
Budget Hearings – State budget hearings will be conducted from 8 – 10 February in Montgomery. The hearings will be held in the Capitol Auditorium and the House Chambers and will cover the General Fund and Education Fund.
Lastly, thank you for your thoughts and prayers as both my wife and I lost our sole remaining grandparents over the last 5 weeks. They were both inspirational in our lives and a testament to living life to the fullest - something we should all strive for.
Semper Fi - Bill
Overview of November and December 2010
First and foremost – from my family to yours – Happy New Year! It has been almost two months since the General Election in November and this is my first newsletter as a State Senator. I’ve spent most of this time following up with supporters and getting acquainted with people and organizations that I did not meet during the campaign season. I’ve also transitioned action items to the new city councilwomen representing the city of Madison District 7, which I resigned from to assume the Senate seat for District 2.
This newsletter is somewhat long as it covers two months so I've divided it into several sections. I’ll start with a brief overview of activities from November and December and then transition into other areas of interest. I conclude the newsletter with comments on two controversial bills from the recent Special Session.
November - After a 14 month campaign we were successful in winning the election. What a memorable night for me and my family as well as the many supporters who helped out during the long campaign. I'm thankful to everyone who was involved from knocking on doors to going to the polls. On November the 8th, I resigned from the Madison City Council and was sworn in as a State Senator. That week, I also attended the Grand Opening of the Calhoun Community College Robotics Center. This is the first of three planned buildings and a wonderful addition to the campus for students and workforce development in robotics. Over Veteran’s Day weekend I participated in the Wounded Warriors Weekend with the Semper Fi Community Task Force. This event is made possible by a large base of volunteers who host over 50 combat wounded Marines, soldiers and their family members over the extended weekend in Huntsville. During November, I also attended a luncheon hosted by the Limestone County Sheriff and met several community leaders across Limestone County. In another example of the strengthening economy in North Alabama, I attended the Dynetics Ground breaking for their new facility in Research Park. I also participated in the Liberty Middle School Career Day and that evening spent three hours on a platform suspended 40 feet in the air for the annual “Bikes or Bust” to support the local Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. I provided an update “from Madison to Montgomery” during lunch with a group from the Committee of 100. Rep Phil Williams and I toured several schools in the Sparkman cluster of Madison County with members of the Madison County School Board. I met with the Limestone County, Madison County, and North Alabama District leadership of the Alabama Farmers Federation. In the final days of November, I also attended the BRAC update and farewell for the 59th Ordnance Brigade at which the legislative delegation presented a joint Resolution honoring their service to our community.
December - In early December I attended the 2011 Legislative Orientation in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama Law Institute. We adjourned from the three day program at noon on December 8th after remarks from Gov-Elect Bentley and convened in Montgomery that evening for the Special Session called by Gov Riley. We started the Special Session by unanimously electing Senator Del Marsh as the President Pro Tem, the first unanimous vote to happen in at least 50 years. We then met in the old house chamber in the state capital to hear Gov. Riley address a standing room only audience prior to the public hearing. The public hearing lasted 3 1/2 hours and we heard from exactly 50 members of the public ranging from professionals representing state-wide organizations to citizens representing themselves. I commend my fellow legislators who stayed to the very end. I'm disheartened that not all stayed for the entire session; in my humble opinion, the last speaker's words carried the same weight as the first speaker's words.
The Special Session adjourned for the weekend on Friday the 10th and we returned for what was planned for two days but ended up being almost four days. We adjourned from the Special Session just before 3 am on Thursday the 16th. I slept for a few hours in my office and then made the three hour drive to Madison arriving just in time to attend the ground breaking for the new high school.
Later in the month I was honored to attend the Athens State University School of Business graduation to give greetings and congratulations from the Alabama Legislature. I also attended the Limestone County Commission Meeting in late December and just before Christmas co-hosted the Dale Jackson Show on WVNN with Rep Dan Williams and Rep Ed Henry.
Topics of Interest:
Leading By Example - As I prepared for the Special Session, focused on ethics reform for our state, I began receiving several complimentary items from organizations sent to me because I am a State Senator. While these were well intended, I’ve made it a point not to accept items of value as an elected official that are not similarly made available to the general public. You can view letters returning items to the Huntsville Airport and Huntsville Botanical Garden here. Additionally, some people have asked about the Iron Bowl tickets that legislators traditionally receive for the game. To be clear, I called the University of Alabama President’s office to officially decline the tickets shortly after winning the election. I was politely informed that the tickets were not offered to the incoming legislators as the tickets are part of a four year deal and they would be offered to the legislators in office from 2006-2010 regardless if re-elected or not.
Sleeping In My Office? You may have heard that I slept in my office during the Special Session. I did indeed sleep in my office – by design – simply to prove to myself that I could do so, should the need ever arise. We were only supposed to be in Montgomery for one night during the second week but as the days of debate on ethics reform turned into long nights, the need for me to sleep in my office became a reality. As we adjourned well into the morning on Tuesday and Wednesday, my true fiscal conservative nature took over. Hotels range from a minimum of $70 - $100 or more a night in Montgomery. I slept in my office as I saw no need to spend that much for only a few hours sleep…yes, there is a shower in the State House and I was prepared for that as well!
Retuning Pay For The Special Session? I vowed that should Gov. Riley or Gov- Elect Bentley call a Special Session, I would return any compensation provided by the state for the Special Session. I believe the session was important and was willing to conduct it at no cost to the taxpayers of Alabama. You can read the letter returning payment for the Special Session to the State of Alabama.
Special Session Controversy:
The session was not without controversy. In all, seven bills were introduced and seven bills were signed into law by Gov. Riley. The two most controversial were Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 14.
SB2: This bill concerns the practice of allowing payroll deduction for political dues from employees of the state (read SB2 here). I support SB2 not from a political position but rather from a best use of tax payer dollars position – it is truly that simple. Continuing to collect dues for political purposes via state payroll deduction is an undue burden on the state that does not support the tax payers at large and is simply wrong.
There are some who view SB2 as vengeance by the Republican Party against the AEA. In retrospect, I’m not surprised by that viewpoint but I am surprised by the battle lines that have been drawn, to the point that republicans in general have been portrayed as “villains” by The Alabama School Journal, an official publication of the Alabama Education Association.
I had never heard of the Journal and thought that perhaps other readers of this newsletter may not have either so I’m providing a link to the current publication online . Readers may be surprised by headlines such as “No Muzzle For AEA” and “SB2 Vote Will Awaken The Sleeping Giant”. The most telling of all, a tagline on page 8 with pictures of each legislator who voted for SB2, reads in part “These senators took away your rights to speak your mind and use payroll deduction. These men told you to keep quiet and stay out of the Statehouse” followed by “I teach my students never to say “shut-up”, why did you say it to me”.
Really? Took away your rights? Told you to keep quiet? Shut-up? In short – these are disheartening headlines for an official publication. They are designed to stir up controversy rather than bridge the historical divide between educators and elected officials. I may be new to Montgomery politics but I’m certainly not new to working with people. I believe those who supported me see through this propaganda and know that I support our teachers, children and schools but that I also support taxpayers and the prudent use of tax revenue across our state.
Several legislators have asked how much the state will save as a result of SB2. In the end, I’m not sure we’ll ever know exactly how much the payroll deduction service cost the taxpayers. However, everyone agrees it cost something so let’s assume it costs as little as ten cents a month per transaction. That’s only $1.20 a year but with 100,000 AEA members that is a total of $120,000 dollars annually. That amount could fund three entry level teacher’s making $40,000 a year. As a taxpayer and parent with a child in the public school system, I’d rather see funding go to the classroom.
I’ve also heard from a few members of AEA that SB2 limits their voice in the political process. I disagree. SB2 does not impede anyone from contributing to any organization, paying dues or otherwise. I would not support any legislation that limits someone’s voice in the political process; not only would that be un-Constitutional it is also unconscionable! I maintain that several means are available for employees to make those contributions including bank draft, debit card deduction or, simply writing a check; none of which cost the taxpayers a dime.
Lastly, regarding the comment from the Journal - “I teach my students never to say “shut-up”, why did you say it to me?” – I did not and would not tell any organization to be silent. As an elected official I want to hear from the people I represent in government. I will say that I’m surprised I didn’t hear from AEA during the campaign season, other than a letter telling their membership to support only Democrats in the 2010 election.
I will continue to work to represent the many educators and parents of the children across the district. Every voice is important and, while at times we will agree to disagree on areas such as SB2, we must continue to work towards the betterment of everyone in Alabama, not just a select few special interest groups with large memberships.
SB14: This bill relates to the Alabama Code of Ethics and Lobbyist spending (read final version of SB14 here ). The first bill introduced was very complex – over 40 pages in length. After days of reading, debating and collaborating, it still gave me great pause due to its overall complexity and lack of enforceability. I, like several other Senators were concerned with the complexity of what was allowed and what was not allowed when we returned home to our respective districts and who was to report what and when. As written it placed county commissioners, city councils and mayors in a difficult position. Simply put, the net was cast too wide. I was not elected to fix problems in the city halls of Athens, Madison or Huntsville nor corruption in the Chambers of Commerce in Limestone and Madison Counties. Rather I was elected to fix problems in Montgomery and that is where I intend to focus my efforts.
A substitute bill was eventually offered in the Senate. This bill focused on simplicity over complexity. Admittedly, it had some loopholes due to its simplicity. I preferred something in the middle, a balance between the two bills offered. The substitute bill offered was 3 pages long and was viewed as a two step process. First, it provided that a lobbyist cannot provide to any public employee anything of value. Second, it required the Alabama Ethics Commission to report to the state legislature, “best practices” from other states that would be modeled into a comprehensive ethics bill in the 2011 session. This version of SB14 passed the Senate and was sent to the House.
In the end, another substitute was introduced in the House that got us closer to the middle and closed a majority of the loopholes. In retrospect, we would not have been able to gain support for the version passed without having worked through the other versions. The final bill passed should not be viewed as the finished product; we still have some work to do. However, in the interim we have severely limited the influence of lobbyist and special interest groups in Montgomery (from spending $250 a day on a legislator to $250 a year). Additionally, the requirement for the Alabama Ethics Commission to report to the state legislature “best practices” from other states made it into the final version. That report will be used to model a comprehensive ethics bill in the 2011 session.
Lastly, from a personal perspective, I’m willing to meet with anyone but will continue to buy my own meals, coffee, etc. while at home or in Montgomery. I’m not accustomed to anyone paying my way and certainly won’t start now.
Looking Ahead – The Senate will convene on January 11th for the Organizational Session. Although we organized (elected leadership, adopted rules, etc) for the Special Session, by law, we are required to do so again in January. We will also receive committee assignments during this session. The inauguration of constitutional officers takes place on January 17th in Montgomery. The inauguration is open to the public and I encourage everyone to attend. You can view a list of inauguration events here.
I am working on several bills that I plan to “pre-file” after the Organizational Session for action during the Regular Session beginning in March. I’ll write more about those bills next month.
Senate Organization - The Organizational Session for the 2011-2014 Quadrennial was held in early January. The leadership positions elected for the Special Session in December were only for that session. By the State Constitution we had to meet again on the second Tuesday in January to elect leadership. This coincided with Governor Bentley’s inauguration. My wife and daughters were able to attend the inauguration and several events in Montgomery making for a very memorable time.
Committee Assignments - during the organizational session I was assigned to the following standing committees:
- Veterans and Military Affairs - Committee Chair
- Banking and Insurance
- Children, Youth Affairs and Human Resources
- Commerce, Transportation and Utilities
- Education Policy
- Finance and Taxation General Fund
- Small Business and Economic Development
- Local Legislation No. 4 (first time this local legislative committee has been formed)
I was also appointed by Lieutenant Governor Ivey to serve on the Contract Review Legislative Oversight Committee and elected by my peers to serve as vice-chair of the Tennessee Valley Caucus.
Stake Holder Meetings - My goal is to meet with as many entities as possible (Mayors and City/Town Councils, Volunteer Fire Departments, Senior Centers, School Boards and Superintendents, County Commissions, Colleges, Limestone Prison and non-profits, etc.) prior to going into the General Session in March. I’ve already met with most of these groups and have scheduled several other meetings. I feel this will prove key as I develop relationships allowing me to have vital “reach back” to North Alabama while in Montgomery. This will allow me to keep the interest of the people of North Alabama balanced with our state as I vote.
Local Meetings and Events – I attended several meetings and events in January, these include: Limestone County Association of Volunteer Fire Dept meeting in Athens, Madison County Children’s Policy Council Meeting in Huntsville, the Huntsville City School Board Meeting, the Boys and Girls Club Annual Awards Lunch, the Athens – Limestone Hospital Open House for Pharmacy improvements, the send off of Kilo Battery, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves in Huntsville as they deployed to support combat operations in Afghanistan. I also attended an Alabama Educator’s Association Summit on Education in Birmingham, participated in the Annual Yearly Improvement assessment at Sparkman High School, and attended the swearing in of Limestone County’s new District Attorney, Brian Jones. I spoke at the Republican Women of Madison’s monthly meeting along with Rep Phil Williams and Rep Mickey Hammons. I attended the Madison State of the City event at the Davidson Center and spoke at a Pro-Life Rally held at the Madison County Court House along with several other legislators. I also attended the North Alabama Prayer Breakfast in Decatur with a virtual who’s – who of North Alabama Politics; Governor Bentley delivered a great message. I participated in a 5 mile run with Capt Cortez, a soldier visiting Huntsville. He was blinded from an explosion during combat operations in Afghanistan but continues to remain on active duty and runs marathons. I also attended the Spirit of Athens awards Luncheon. The Spirit of Athens is focused on preserving historical downtown Athens.
All in all I was able to attend about 70% of the events that I was invited to – I am honored to be invited and I thank you for understanding when I send regrets as I work to attend as many events as possible.
Communication vs. Spam – Communicating with constituents is paramount for me. Talking directly with the people I represent helps me understand their concerns. I know my vote, while a singular vote, is in fact the voice of many. With that in mind I want to share that an original email, phone call or hand written note carries significant weight and is much appreciated. On the other hand, an email that is simply a “copy and paste” with only the sender name having been changed - is legislative spam. Please keep the original thoughts and ideas coming.
February Events:
The North Alabama Legislature Public Forum – The annual public forum for the North Alabama Legislature will be held Monday, February 7th from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Huntsville City Council Chambers Municipal Building at 308 Fountain Circle. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes to express concerns/issues to the entire Madison County Delegation. This meeting is hosted by the Madison County Legislative Delegation.
I think it would be a good idea for a similar meeting with the Limestone County Delegation (Rep Dan Williams, Rep Micky Hammons, Rep Mac McCutheon and Senator Author Orr) and have begun coordinating for such a meeting. I will keep everyone advised if we are successful in scheduling such a meeting in the coming weeks.
Budget Hearings – State budget hearings will be conducted from 8 – 10 February in Montgomery. The hearings will be held in the Capitol Auditorium and the House Chambers and will cover the General Fund and Education Fund.
Lastly, thank you for your thoughts and prayers as both my wife and I lost our sole remaining grandparents over the last 5 weeks. They were both inspirational in our lives and a testament to living life to the fullest - something we should all strive for.
Semper Fi - Bill
Overview of November and December 2010
First and foremost – from my family to yours – Happy New Year! It has been almost two months since the General Election in November and this is my first newsletter as a State Senator. I’ve spent most of this time following up with supporters and getting acquainted with people and organizations that I did not meet during the campaign season. I’ve also transitioned action items to the new city councilwomen representing the city of Madison District 7, which I resigned from to assume the Senate seat for District 2.
This newsletter is somewhat long as it covers two months so I've divided it into several sections. I’ll start with a brief overview of activities from November and December and then transition into other areas of interest. I conclude the newsletter with comments on two controversial bills from the recent Special Session.
November - After a 14 month campaign we were successful in winning the election. What a memorable night for me and my family as well as the many supporters who helped out during the long campaign. I'm thankful to everyone who was involved from knocking on doors to going to the polls. On November the 8th, I resigned from the Madison City Council and was sworn in as a State Senator. That week, I also attended the Grand Opening of the Calhoun Community College Robotics Center. This is the first of three planned buildings and a wonderful addition to the campus for students and workforce development in robotics. Over Veteran’s Day weekend I participated in the Wounded Warriors Weekend with the Semper Fi Community Task Force. This event is made possible by a large base of volunteers who host over 50 combat wounded Marines, soldiers and their family members over the extended weekend in Huntsville. During November, I also attended a luncheon hosted by the Limestone County Sheriff and met several community leaders across Limestone County. In another example of the strengthening economy in North Alabama, I attended the Dynetics Ground breaking for their new facility in Research Park. I also participated in the Liberty Middle School Career Day and that evening spent three hours on a platform suspended 40 feet in the air for the annual “Bikes or Bust” to support the local Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. I provided an update “from Madison to Montgomery” during lunch with a group from the Committee of 100. Rep Phil Williams and I toured several schools in the Sparkman cluster of Madison County with members of the Madison County School Board. I met with the Limestone County, Madison County, and North Alabama District leadership of the Alabama Farmers Federation. In the final days of November, I also attended the BRAC update and farewell for the 59th Ordnance Brigade at which the legislative delegation presented a joint Resolution honoring their service to our community.
December - In early December I attended the 2011 Legislative Orientation in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama Law Institute. We adjourned from the three day program at noon on December 8th after remarks from Gov-Elect Bentley and convened in Montgomery that evening for the Special Session called by Gov Riley. We started the Special Session by unanimously electing Senator Del Marsh as the President Pro Tem, the first unanimous vote to happen in at least 50 years. We then met in the old house chamber in the state capital to hear Gov. Riley address a standing room only audience prior to the public hearing. The public hearing lasted 3 1/2 hours and we heard from exactly 50 members of the public ranging from professionals representing state-wide organizations to citizens representing themselves. I commend my fellow legislators who stayed to the very end. I'm disheartened that not all stayed for the entire session; in my humble opinion, the last speaker's words carried the same weight as the first speaker's words.
The Special Session adjourned for the weekend on Friday the 10th and we returned for what was planned for two days but ended up being almost four days. We adjourned from the Special Session just before 3 am on Thursday the 16th. I slept for a few hours in my office and then made the three hour drive to Madison arriving just in time to attend the ground breaking for the new high school.
Later in the month I was honored to attend the Athens State University School of Business graduation to give greetings and congratulations from the Alabama Legislature. I also attended the Limestone County Commission Meeting in late December and just before Christmas co-hosted the Dale Jackson Show on WVNN with Rep Dan Williams and Rep Ed Henry.
Topics of Interest:
Leading By Example - As I prepared for the Special Session, focused on ethics reform for our state, I began receiving several complimentary items from organizations sent to me because I am a State Senator. While these were well intended, I’ve made it a point not to accept items of value as an elected official that are not similarly made available to the general public. You can view letters returning items to the Huntsville Airport and Huntsville Botanical Garden here. Additionally, some people have asked about the Iron Bowl tickets that legislators traditionally receive for the game. To be clear, I called the University of Alabama President’s office to officially decline the tickets shortly after winning the election. I was politely informed that the tickets were not offered to the incoming legislators as the tickets are part of a four year deal and they would be offered to the legislators in office from 2006-2010 regardless if re-elected or not.
Sleeping In My Office? You may have heard that I slept in my office during the Special Session. I did indeed sleep in my office – by design – simply to prove to myself that I could do so, should the need ever arise. We were only supposed to be in Montgomery for one night during the second week but as the days of debate on ethics reform turned into long nights, the need for me to sleep in my office became a reality. As we adjourned well into the morning on Tuesday and Wednesday, my true fiscal conservative nature took over. Hotels range from a minimum of $70 - $100 or more a night in Montgomery. I slept in my office as I saw no need to spend that much for only a few hours sleep…yes, there is a shower in the State House and I was prepared for that as well!
Retuning Pay For The Special Session? I vowed that should Gov. Riley or Gov- Elect Bentley call a Special Session, I would return any compensation provided by the state for the Special Session. I believe the session was important and was willing to conduct it at no cost to the taxpayers of Alabama. You can read the letter returning payment for the Special Session to the State of Alabama.
Special Session Controversy:
The session was not without controversy. In all, seven bills were introduced and seven bills were signed into law by Gov. Riley. The two most controversial were Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 14.
SB2: This bill concerns the practice of allowing payroll deduction for political dues from employees of the state (read SB2 here). I support SB2 not from a political position but rather from a best use of tax payer dollars position – it is truly that simple. Continuing to collect dues for political purposes via state payroll deduction is an undue burden on the state that does not support the tax payers at large and is simply wrong.
There are some who view SB2 as vengeance by the Republican Party against the AEA. In retrospect, I’m not surprised by that viewpoint but I am surprised by the battle lines that have been drawn, to the point that republicans in general have been portrayed as “villains” by The Alabama School Journal, an official publication of the Alabama Education Association.
I had never heard of the Journal and thought that perhaps other readers of this newsletter may not have either so I’m providing a link to the current publication online . Readers may be surprised by headlines such as “No Muzzle For AEA” and “SB2 Vote Will Awaken The Sleeping Giant”. The most telling of all, a tagline on page 8 with pictures of each legislator who voted for SB2, reads in part “These senators took away your rights to speak your mind and use payroll deduction. These men told you to keep quiet and stay out of the Statehouse” followed by “I teach my students never to say “shut-up”, why did you say it to me”.
Really? Took away your rights? Told you to keep quiet? Shut-up? In short – these are disheartening headlines for an official publication. They are designed to stir up controversy rather than bridge the historical divide between educators and elected officials. I may be new to Montgomery politics but I’m certainly not new to working with people. I believe those who supported me see through this propaganda and know that I support our teachers, children and schools but that I also support taxpayers and the prudent use of tax revenue across our state.
Several legislators have asked how much the state will save as a result of SB2. In the end, I’m not sure we’ll ever know exactly how much the payroll deduction service cost the taxpayers. However, everyone agrees it cost something so let’s assume it costs as little as ten cents a month per transaction. That’s only $1.20 a year but with 100,000 AEA members that is a total of $120,000 dollars annually. That amount could fund three entry level teacher’s making $40,000 a year. As a taxpayer and parent with a child in the public school system, I’d rather see funding go to the classroom.
I’ve also heard from a few members of AEA that SB2 limits their voice in the political process. I disagree. SB2 does not impede anyone from contributing to any organization, paying dues or otherwise. I would not support any legislation that limits someone’s voice in the political process; not only would that be un-Constitutional it is also unconscionable! I maintain that several means are available for employees to make those contributions including bank draft, debit card deduction or, simply writing a check; none of which cost the taxpayers a dime.
Lastly, regarding the comment from the Journal - “I teach my students never to say “shut-up”, why did you say it to me?” – I did not and would not tell any organization to be silent. As an elected official I want to hear from the people I represent in government. I will say that I’m surprised I didn’t hear from AEA during the campaign season, other than a letter telling their membership to support only Democrats in the 2010 election.
I will continue to work to represent the many educators and parents of the children across the district. Every voice is important and, while at times we will agree to disagree on areas such as SB2, we must continue to work towards the betterment of everyone in Alabama, not just a select few special interest groups with large memberships.
SB14: This bill relates to the Alabama Code of Ethics and Lobbyist spending (read final version of SB14 here ). The first bill introduced was very complex – over 40 pages in length. After days of reading, debating and collaborating, it still gave me great pause due to its overall complexity and lack of enforceability. I, like several other Senators were concerned with the complexity of what was allowed and what was not allowed when we returned home to our respective districts and who was to report what and when. As written it placed county commissioners, city councils and mayors in a difficult position. Simply put, the net was cast too wide. I was not elected to fix problems in the city halls of Athens, Madison or Huntsville nor corruption in the Chambers of Commerce in Limestone and Madison Counties. Rather I was elected to fix problems in Montgomery and that is where I intend to focus my efforts.
A substitute bill was eventually offered in the Senate. This bill focused on simplicity over complexity. Admittedly, it had some loopholes due to its simplicity. I preferred something in the middle, a balance between the two bills offered. The substitute bill offered was 3 pages long and was viewed as a two step process. First, it provided that a lobbyist cannot provide to any public employee anything of value. Second, it required the Alabama Ethics Commission to report to the state legislature, “best practices” from other states that would be modeled into a comprehensive ethics bill in the 2011 session. This version of SB14 passed the Senate and was sent to the House.
In the end, another substitute was introduced in the House that got us closer to the middle and closed a majority of the loopholes. In retrospect, we would not have been able to gain support for the version passed without having worked through the other versions. The final bill passed should not be viewed as the finished product; we still have some work to do. However, in the interim we have severely limited the influence of lobbyist and special interest groups in Montgomery (from spending $250 a day on a legislator to $250 a year). Additionally, the requirement for the Alabama Ethics Commission to report to the state legislature “best practices” from other states made it into the final version. That report will be used to model a comprehensive ethics bill in the 2011 session.
Lastly, from a personal perspective, I’m willing to meet with anyone but will continue to buy my own meals, coffee, etc. while at home or in Montgomery. I’m not accustomed to anyone paying my way and certainly won’t start now.
Looking Ahead – The Senate will convene on January 11th for the Organizational Session. Although we organized (elected leadership, adopted rules, etc) for the Special Session, by law, we are required to do so again in January. We will also receive committee assignments during this session. The inauguration of constitutional officers takes place on January 17th in Montgomery. The inauguration is open to the public and I encourage everyone to attend. You can view a list of inauguration events here.
I am working on several bills that I plan to “pre-file” after the Organizational Session for action during the Regular Session beginning in March. I’ll write more about those bills next month.