Senate Sketches # 1096
NOTE: Sen. Hank Sanders has written a weekly column for papers in his legislative district for the past twenty years. These rural, weekly papers lack a web presence, and links to the columns are not typically otherwise available. The column below is provided by Sen. Sanders’ office for inclusion in the Daily News Digest.
Senate Sketches # 1096
By
Senator Hank Sanders
***********
When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. This wise African saying applies to a lot more than elephants and grass. It says that when two powerful forces struggle against each other, the less powerful are trampled upon. The Alabama State Senate is a living example of the truth of this saying.
Because two powerful forces fought in the Alabama Senate, the less powerful were trampled. Neither powerful force was hurt except in their own eyesight and the eyesight of onlookers. On the other hand, our children, teachers and other education personnel and their families were trampled. So were the citizens of Alabama.
The elephants fought and the education budget was trampled in the 2008 Regular Legislative Session. One elephant consisted of the Alabama Education Association, Alabama Association of School Boards, School Superintendents of Alabama, the Governor and a majority of Senators. We were fighting to pass the education budget. On the other side was Joe Fine, a powerful contract lobbyist, Higher Education and a minority of Senators. They were fighting to kill the budget. It was not the elephants that suffered but the grass of our children’s hopes; the grass of security for teachers and their families; the grass of minimum expectations from our citizens.
The suffering of teachers and their families was graphically illustrated at a press conference in the Star Wars Room of the Alabama State House. Teacher after teacher told how they were fired when the budget did not pass. School systems could not rehire them without being sure they could pay them. The pain was evident in their voices, faces and bodies.
They also painted a powerful picture of how our children are impacted through loss of good caring teachers. Some of the teachers cried. I wanted to cry. Our children and teachers are the grass. When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.
Then elephants fought again this week in the First 2008 Special Legislative Session. The elephants were the same. The grass was the same. The point of contention was different, but the results were the same. The flower of our children’s education and the hopes of our citizens were trampled. Let me explain.
Two Republicans legislative leaders, Senator Del Marsh of the Alabama Senate and Representative Mike Hubbard of the Alabama House of Representatives, met with two Democratic legislative leaders, Representative Richard Lindsey of the House and me, Hank Sanders, of the Senate. We worked over the Memorial Day Weekend - Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. After consulting with every Senator and many House members, we forged an agreement to pass the education budget and budget related bills. But the elephants fought and the children suffered.
One bill would establish a new Rainy Day Fund for Education. I will not try to explain, but suffice it to say the Fund would have prevented cuts to education funding in particular for the coming school year and in general for future years. It would be sort of an umbrella that protects our school children when unanticipated downpours burst from dark financial clouds. Now the elephants fought and the children suffered.
It was a Constitutional Amendment and therefore required 21 of 35 Senate votes. Every Democratic Senator voted for the Rainy Day Education Fund except two and one of those was in the hospital. Every Republican voted against the proposed amendment or did not vote. The bill died by a vote of 20 for, 8 against and 6 not voting. The elephants fought and the children suffered.
In my opinion, it was not about the merits of the proposal. The very same bill had passed the Senate unanimously just 2 weeks ago. A similar Constitutional Amendment for general government passed the Senate by a vote of 29 to 2 just minutes earlier. Why pass one for general government and not pass one for our children? It was about spite.
When elephants fought at the end of the Regular Legislative Session, it was about the University of Alabama and Auburn trying to take $25 million dollars from public education. Higher Education is well funded in Alabama, ranking 15th nationally. K-12 ranks a lowly 43rd
In the compromise, Higher Education lost some of the funding they had before they killed the budget. They were very upset but could not afford to kill the education budget again. Instead, its key leaders, lobbyist Joe Fine and Senators Jim Preuitt and Jimmy Holley killed another important bill - the Rainy Day Education Fund. This happened in spite of a compromise that every Senator agreed to support. The elephants fought and our children suffered.
In the Alabama Senate, a few senators can stop legislation from passing by preventing a vote. On items such as a Constitutional Amendment, a minority can allow a vote but still kill the legislation. That’s what happened to the Rainy Day Education Fund.
As I write this Sketches, we are trying to find another way to prevent a down pouring of proration on our school children. We can do it if the elephants do not fight. But if recent history is any guide, the elephants will fight. I just hope the children will not suffer.
Now on to the Daily Diary.
Saturday - I went to my office early and worked on Sketches, the education budget and other matters. At 10:00 a.m., I attended a children community violin recital at Wallace Community College Selma. I went to the recital out of duty but stayed out of sheer joy. I shared lunch with Dr. Mitchell, Faya Rose Toure and others as we discussed community issues. I talked to Senator Del Marsh and others about the education budget. I traveled to Wilcox County where I made remarks at a community park dedication. I returned to Selma and worked into the night on the education budget and other matters.
Sunday - I did Radio Sunday School with Dr. Margaret Hardy and Radio Education with Perry County School Superintendent John Heard. I did Sunday Review and participated in Sunday School. I traveled to West Blocton because of death in the family (I ate so many brim fish it was a shame). I talked with the following: Charles and Gullah Sanders; Senator Del Marsh; Dr. Paul Hubbert; Governor Bob Riley; and Senator Bobby Denton. I returned to Selma and worked into the night on the education budget and related legislation.
Monday - I spent the first part of the morning with my grandchildren taking them out to get breakfast. I was proud because I do not spend sufficient time with them. I also shared a Memorial Day Dinner with my family, a rare occurrence. I worked into the night. In between, I talked with the following: Representative Richard Lindsey; Senate Majority Leader Zeb Little; Senator Del Marsh; Dr. Paul Hubbert; Joyce Bigbee of LFO; Barbara Brown of Selma; Deputy Senate President Pro Tem Wendell Mitchell; Senator Roger Bedford; Senator Kim Benefield; Senator Lowell Barron and Senator Ted Little.
Tuesday - I finished Sketches and talked with the following: Senate President Pro Tem Hinton Mitchem; Senator Larry Means; Senator E.B. McClain; Representative John Knight; Representative Laura Hall; and Representative Richard Lindsey. I traveled to Montgomery for the following: A series of meetings; a Senate Session where I introduced the education budget and related legislation; a Press Conference with a group of teachers; and other engagements with the media. I had dinner with several Senators and others before returning to Selma.
Wednesday - I was back in Montgomery early for a series of committee meetings and a Senate Session. I chaired a Finance and Taxation Education Committee meeting where we quickly reported out the Education Budget and the accompanying bills. I talked with the following: State Treasurer Kay Ivey; Senator Quinton Ross; Senator Bobby Denton and wife Barbara; University of Alabama Board of Trustees Chairman Joe Espy; Senator Parker Griffith; Sabra Barnett; Sharon Wheeler and Susan Kennedy. I met with Governor Bob Riley and Representative Richard Lindsey. Senator Quinton Ross and I traveled to Birmingham to see Senator Bobby Denton who is recovering from two recent operations and was about to commence a third. I returned to Montgomery, attended a fund raiser for Senator Parker Griffith who is running for the U.S. Congress, and traveled on to Selma.
Thursday - I returned to Montgomery for a Senate Session and a series of meetings. Among those I talked with were the following: Governor Bob Riley; Representative Richard Lindsey; House Speaker Seth Hammett; Senator Lowell Barron; Anita Archie of Postsecondary Education; Media Specialist Rick Dent; State School Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton; William Utsey of Choctaw County; and Sharon Calhoun of Montgomery. In the Senate Session, The $6.36 billion Education Budget passed in a few minutes but Republicans slowed down other bills and killed one bill in the Education package, the Rainy Day Education Fund. I appeared on a television program with Senator Del Marsh and engaged the media in other venues. I worked with several key leaders into the night on Education Budget matters before going by a dinner with the Alabama Road Builders and on to a dinner with Senate Black Caucus members. Among those I talked with were: Barnett Lawley of the Alabama Conservation Department; Tac Mims and Tom Beatty of the Road Builders; Lobbyist John Teague, Don Gilbert and Crum Foshee; Senators Vivian Davis Figures; Bobby Singleton; Rodger Smitherman; Linda Coleman; and Dr. Paul Hubbert. I returned to Selma.
Friday - I was back in Montgomery for a Senate Session and numerous meetings. I talked to the following: Joyce Bigbee of the Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO); Dr. Carol Zippert; Senator E.B. McClain; Barbara Denton, wife of Senator Bobby Denton; Senator Larry Means; Senator Tom Butler; Jim Main, the Governor’s Finance Director; Bill Newton of the Executive Budget Off ice; Dave Stewart of the Governor’s Office; Senator Arthur Orr; Senator Pat Lindsey; Anita Archie of Two Year Colleges; State School Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton; Assistant State School Superintendent Craig Pouncey; and Dr. Paul Hubbert. I attended three (3) committee meetings including Finance and Taxation Education, (which I chaired), Confirmations and Finance and Taxation General Fund. I returned to Selma.
EPILOGUE - We must keep our eyes on the prize regardless of our struggles. If we don’t we will trample the prize. Our children are the real prize, and we must never trample them even as elephants fight.
Index of Sanders' Senate Sketches
