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The 2008 Regular Session of the Alabama State Legislature
started on February 5th. This session will be the second of the
quadrinium. Governor Riley gave his
State
of the State address to a joint session of the
legislature on Wednesday, February 6th.
To view all of legislative bills that are introduced during the
session you can visit the official web site of the
Alabama State Legislature
I have an active legislative agenda this session
that will touch on several topics. My top priority will continue
to be the improvement of roads in Shelby and Bibb County as well
as strong ethics reform in state government. The path to better
roads for our area begins with the removal of politics from
transportation funding in Alabama. This can be done by having an
independent transportation commission to determine where roads
are built based upon need and not politics.
I
will also work on several ethics reform bills to bring more
scrutiny into campaign financing for our elections by banning
PAC-to-PAC transfers, and requiring campaign disclosure forms be
filed online for all the people to see who is contributing to
Alabama’s election campaigns. As a co-sponsor for legislation to
mandate elected officials disclose contracts they have with
other government entities, I believe that the public should have
as much information as possible about those who represent them
in government.
Legislation to
restrict
convicted felons from profiting from their crimes
while in prison should be something that everyone in the
legislature supports. No family should have to watch a criminal
profit from the death of a loved one.
Tax relief for small business owners who offer health care
insurance to their employees, a crack down on dangerous dog
attacks in our communities, and the repealing of annual property
tax appraisals will also be on my agenda this session.
Over the last year I have worked with several professionals
throughout the state on how we as a state can better serve our
citizens who have autism. I plan on pushing several
recommendations that have been proposed by the
Alabama Autism
Task Force including the creation of an Alabama
Autism Council.
In addition to these bills, I will be co-sponsoring legislation
to crack down on illegal immigration by punishing business
owners who hire illegal aliens. Illegal immigration continues to
be one of the fastest growing threats to our country. As elected
officials we must do everything we can to curb this problem. I
plan to also play an active role in preventing illegal
immigrants from benefiting from taxpayer funded services in
Alabama.
Below are some highlights regarding several pieces
of legislation I plan to work on during the legislative session.
Thanks again for allowing me to represent you in Montgomery.
Please feel free to call on me or any other member of the
Alabama House of Representatives
when we can be of service
to you. I look forward to serving you again during the 2008
Regular Session!
Transportation Commission Act
Illegal Immigration Legislation
Alabama Autism Support Act of 2008
Tax Relief for Small Business Health Coverage
Notoriety Act
Public Official Disclosure of Interests
Ban on PAC to PAC Transfers
Restrictions on Tobacco Purchases by a
Minor
Dangerous Dog Act of 2008
Repeal Annual Property Tax Reappraisals
Allow Local Law Enforcement to Assist State Troopers in Public
Safety
House committee passes 8 bills to crackdown on illegal immigrants
3/27/2008, 4:04 p.m. ET
By BOB JOHNSON The Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama House committee approved eight bills Thursday aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants in Alabama, including one to revoke the license of any business that knowingly hires illegal immigrants.
Other bills approved by the House Judiciary Committee would make it a crime to transport illegal immigrants into the state and impound the vehicle if a driver can't prove he or she is a legal citizen.
The committee turned down two immigration bills, including one that would have required all workers in the state to have an identification card. Officials with the Department of Public Safety expressed concern it would cost $1.7 million to issue the cards.
(read more)
An Alabama Senate
committee threw up a roadblock to a bill that would have taken some of
the politics out of paving
THE
ISSUE: A state Senate committee threw up a roadblock
to a bill that would have taken some of the politics
out of paving.
If the
road to hell is paved with good intentions, where
does the road paved with bad intentions lead? To the
Legislature?
It's
easy to wonder that after watching a majority of the
Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday
kill a plan to bring some much-needed sanity to
roadbuilding in Alabama. Six committee members, five
of them from rural areas that often benefit the most
from state paving projects, voted against a bill
that would take control of the state Department of
Transportation away from the governor and give it to
an appointed commission. (read
more)
Transportation
commission badly needed in Alabama
Editorial
Published: March 14, 2008
It
is time for Alabama to establish a
transportation commission if for no other reason
than the obvious fact that the current system of
maintaining the state’s roads and bridges isn’t
working. The state Senate believes otherwise.
A
Senate committee voted Tuesday to block House
Bill 123 introduced by Republican Cam Ward,
which would remove the Department of
Transportation from the controlling umbrella of
the governor and put it under control of a
governor-appointed commission, which would then
appoint its own transportation director.
As
it stands, Alabama governors appoint
transportation directors to head the DOT. Since
2003, that man, appointed by Gov. Bob Riley, has
been Joe McInnes. Unless the bill somehow gets
passed, a new transportation director could be
appointed by whoever wins the 2010 gubernatorial
election. (read
more)
House votes to create council to coordinate autism services
2/21/2008, 4:46 p.m. ET
The Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — State Rep. Cam Ward, whose 5-year-old daughter Riley is autistic, said parents of children with autism have a hard time figuring out where to turn in Alabama to get help.
The Alabama House passed a bill Thursday sponsored by Ward, R-Alabaster, on a 99-0 vote to establish a council to coordinate services available to help people with autism.
Ward's voice broke when he thanked the House for passing the bill and naming it for his daughter. The bill, which now goes to the Senate, was a result of the work of a legislative committee appointed last year to study autism.
Ward said autism is a growing problem that now affects about one out of 150 Alabama residents. He said one job of the council will be to make sure the state receives federal money available.
[
full story ]
House approves bill to establish
transportation commission
by Bobby Johnson
February 7, 2008
MONTGOMERY, Ala.
- The Alabama House passed a bill Thursday that would take
the Alabama Department of Transportation out from under the
control of the governor and have it managed by a five-person
commission.
The sponsor, Rep. Cam Ward, D-Alabaster, said the commission
would appoint the transportation director, which he said
would give the state's highway planning continuity from
governor to governor.
The members of the commission would be appointed by the
governor and would serve staggered five-year terms. The
state would be divided into three geographical regions, with
one member appointed from each region and two members
appointed at-large.
The bill, approved on a 95-1 vote, was one of four passed by
the House Thursday aimed at strengthening the state's
transportation system.
One legislator, Rep. Jimmy Martin, D-Clanton, wondered if
the commission would really take politics out of decisions
on where new roads are located and which existing roads get
repaired. [
full story ]
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