Blog

The 2012 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature started with news that everyone already knew- our General Fund is broke.  While this is not a shock to many of us who work on a day-to-day basis in Montgomery, what was an eye opener is how bad the budget really is.

In 2008, the State General Fund had a total appropriation of $1.83 Billion.  For 2013, it appears that the General Fund will only have $1.3 Billion.  This is an incredible drop in for a budget that funds some of the state’s most critical services. Due to poor public policy Medicaid and prisons will for the first consume more than 50% of the General Fund budget in 2013. Grappling the prison overcrowding problem this session is going to be critical in order to reverse this trend. With little left to cut in both Medicaid and prisons, the bulk of the budget crunch will fall heavily on the rest of state government.  Parks, roads, public safety, public and mental health services will be in dire straits in the next budget year.

American scholar William Arthur Ward once said, “Another fresh New Year is here. Another year to live, another year to banish worry, doubt and fear. A time to love, laugh and give.” He pretty much summed up the feeling many of us have at the start of a new year. It is a time to turn the page and start fresh, with renewed optimism.

With Christmas approaching, I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect over the last year.  It has been a whirlwind time for my family during this first year in the Senate.  We have been blessed to enjoy the support of so many friends and family members during this change in our life. We could not do it without you.

It has been a fun and educational experience serving the people of District 14.  I had the opportunity to represent many of you while I was in the House of Representative, but I have added a lot more people to my district since my move to the Senate.  It takes a little longer to get around and see everyone, but the visits have been great.  Whether it was the Alabaster Christmas Parade, the Chilton County Peach Festival or the visit with Mr. Jim Lott, the caretaker for the historic Centreville Cemetery, I have truly been amazed at the experiences I have had.  There are so many great people and hidden treasures in our community.  I am thankful that I have had a chance to visit with them over the last year and look forward to seeing more of you in the New Year.

This past week the Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment began their public hearings throughout the state.  The purpose of these meetings has been to gain input from citizens regarding the redrawing of state House and Senate districts. The Joint Committee consists of twenty-two (22) members; one (1) member of the House of Representatives from each congressional district, four (4) at-large members of the House of Representatives, all appointed by the Speaker of the House; one (1) member of the Alabama Senate from each congressional district, four (4) at large members of the Senate, all appointed by the Lieutenant Governor.

By Senator Cam Ward

Alabama Uniform Law Commissioner

September 20, 2011 –For the 120^th time, uniform law commissioners gathered at their annual meeting in Vail, Colorado to discuss – and debate line-by-line and word-by-word – legislative proposals drafted by their colleagues during the year.

This year, the Uniform Law Commission (ULC), approved four new acts dealing with issues ranging from a new law that will authenticate official state online legal material to a new act establishing a certificate of title system for boats. 

It’s hard to believe that the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, a day that changed America forever, is upon us. This date will be remembered by different people through the lens of their personal experiences that day.  The grief will still be the same for many as if it were just yesterday, and for others this will be a time of reflection of how much our country has changed since that cold September day.