Day One:
Upon arriving in Montgomery a couple of hours before the 2010 regular session was to begin my first sight on the House steps was a gathering of green t-shirts. This large group of green t-shirts was non-other than a large gathering of parents, grandparents, and great grandparents seeking a solution to last years development with the future education of their family members. This group of passionate, caring tax paying Alabamians have fallen victim to a plan to prepay college tuition. For many of these Alabamians, the day their loved one would step foot on one of the many college or university campuses across the State of Alabama has yet to arrive. Some of the “Contract holders” as they are now referred to in the halls of the legislature, have a clearly spelled out guarantee in their specific contract. However, many of these contract holders(those purchased in I believe 1995 and after) do not have the same language guaranteeing future payment. What these two different groups of contracts holders have in common was the forethought to plan in advance for the future education of their family members and a slick advertising campaign that for years claimed “Make a PACT with Alabama” and many other catch phrases that imply a guarantee of future payment. I always thought the word “prepaid” meant payment received for a service to be rendered at a later date and time, maybe I misunderstood?
At high noon the Senate convened to begin the 2010 Regular Session of the Legislature, by 12:53 the Senate was in adjournment. Not the typical day in the Alabama Senate, or at least I hope not, nor a typical day in the life of the “Barbecue Man” turned Alabama Senator. My normal day at work usually begins before the crack of dawn, by 5:30-5:45 a.m. I am walking through the back door of my restaurant getting things ready for the day. So the meager 53 minutes inside the Senate Chamber was a bit of a let down, I am certain the excitement will biuld in the coming days of legislative work. At 4p.m. I had the pleasure to witness a Finance & Taxation, General Fund Committee meeting. It is my understanding that committees do not normally meet on this first day of the session but occasionally political games come into play. I witness several senators take pot-shots at Governor Riley for his use of no-bid contracts and wonder why two of these seasoned legislators, of multiple decades had just taken notice of the no-bid contracts being handing out from the Governor’s office. This has been a practice long used by Governors for the past century and these two Senators suddenly want to make an issue about the current Governor’s use of the no-bid process. It is an election year, maybe that has something to do with the day one antics and sudden desire to bring attention on no-bid contracts. Silly me for thinking such experienced Senators had not been trying for years to reform this no-bid process during their decades inside the Senate Chamber.
Day Two:
Wednesday is the primary committee day in the Alabama Legislature and I had the pleasure of official attending my first Senate Committee meeting for Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability. The committee has 7 democrats and 4 republicans, so I am sure there will be partisan politics inside the committee. We brushed over several bills which either received a favorable report or were carried-over until the next committee meeting. The most controversial piece of legislation seemed to be one pertaining to no-bid contracts. This bill would eliminate all no-bid contracts except for “Personal Service Contracts” under $100,000. Being new to Government I asked what all fell under the previous of “Personal Service Contract”, i did not receive a clear answer. I told the committee that the definition should be included in this bill so Alabamians would understand the implications of the bill, it was carried-over. We will see if that actually happens at the next committee meeting.
Day Three:
Thursday is a mixture of early committee meetings and chamber action. The Business and Labor Committee met at 9a.m. and we discussed the bill expanding unemployment benefits to part-time workers. This bill will bring a one time $100 million influx of federal money with Alabama businesses picking up the tab thereafter. On the surface this bill seems harmless but the long-term implication on Alabama businesses would be an increased unemployment liability of between $20-40 mil;ion dollars annually. This bill does not help industry put Alabamians back to work, it will prolong the process.
see you on day four.
