Well the session has finally, and mercifully, ended.  For me to say that I am glad that it’s over would be the understatement of the century.  There was more accomplished this session than I would have guessed a month ago. The Senate finally rose from the dead and helped push through [...]

Much has been made of the line item veto by the Governor on the Tuscaloosa project and the subsequent “retaliation” by Senator Poole for those voting against “his” project.

I think everyone realizes this was retaliation by the administration against Senator Poole for allegedly switching sides and supporting the Mitchem/Barron majority in the organizational session.

Their defense [...]

From Phillyburbs.com:

Alabama Senate slapfest

Dunno how we missed this one. Wait, yes I do, it happened in Alabama.

Last Thursday morning, Alabama republican state senator Charles Bishop hick-slapped his democratic counterpart Lowell Barron on the legislative floor live on Alabama Public Television. Pre-empting a “Hee-Haw” marathon, I believe.

Bishop says Barron called him a “sumabitch” which, [...]

Despite the Senate’s session-long disagreement, they managed to take up and pass the budgets by an overwhelming margin. They budgets came back down to the House chamber and we concurred.  Now, they are at the Governor’s office awaiting his decision to sign, veto or amend. We hope he signs them. Still awaiting action is the bond issue, [...]

Finally, somebody gets it.

Everyone can all stand around and point fingers but, in the end, someone had to step up and take the lead. The Governor had the opportunity to exhibit leadership but instead urged his coalition in the Senate to shut down the session, while simultaneously attempting to take credit for “brokering a [...]

The House has passed several ethics bills and others have been introduced. Of course, we still await action by the Senate on a number of these House-passed bills. Many bills that have been introduced are attempting to address ethics, disclosure, transparency or whatever cute title you want to give it. I have often wondered [...]

The Mobile Press-Register is about as fair to the Democratic party as an East German judge in the Olympics.

Rep. Marc  Keahey calls them on it. They haven’t printed his response on the Governor’s use of the State plane. So I will

RE:  May 14th Editorial

Dear Editors:

Your editorial published today, misrepresents the purpose [...]

The Alabama House continues to meet and consider legislation. Today, House members are beginning to express their dissatisfaction with the antics in the Senate. We have budgets that have not even been received by the senate. There are economic development bills and all important local bills being held “in the basket” that have not yet [...]

OK, I am really worried about my mental state. Stop the presses, I agree with Governor Riley.

After his attacks on the hiring of legislators by the two-year college system, who does he suggest should run the system permanently? A state legislator, Senator Bradley Byrne.

Why didn’t I think of that?

I have enormous respect for [...]

Next week we will consider Rep. Mike Ball’s Initiative and Referendum Constitutional amendment in Constitutions and Elections committee (At 9:00 A.M. on Wednesday not 10:00 as posted, the clerk will change the posting Monday) and on the house floor Rep. Demetrious Newton’s bill to have a referendum on calling a Citizen’s Convention to rewrite Alabama’s [...]

The Governor, with his proposal, paints a broad brush by suggesting that all legislators who work for post-secondary are unethical. It’s true that some problems existed and I think that these problems are being dealt with appropriately. If you steal tax payer money, you go to jail, i.e. Bryant Melton. There are existing [...]

It was a very interesting week for me this week.

The good:

I passed two bills out of the house for the city of Huntsville that is going to continue our outstanding Economic Development, as well as, community development programs. In Constitution and Elections, we passed the Constitutional Convention Referendum to rewrite Alabama’s Constitution.

[...]

Yet another Presidential hopeful, Rudy Giuliani, will address the Alabama Legislature on Tuesday.

OK. I admit it. I’m a Rudy Giuliani fan. But not for the reasons you might think. I respect the Rudy Giuliani that fought the mob in New York as a U.S. Attorney. He was also the face of the nation’s resolve and [...]

We have passed many of our caucus bills in the first third of the session. We have dealt with campaign finance, ethics, Illegal Immigration, alternative fuels and the enterprise school relief package.

Coming up, next week, is consideration of a referendum on a Constitutional Convention in the Constitutions and Elections Committee.

Things I hope to see soon [...]

Filibusters have been used since the beginning of the republic. I have been involved on both sides of a filibuster.

I have filibustered bills that I opposed. Just three years ago, I was filibustered for 3 weeks on the bill (Disclosure Bill) that I just passed on Thursday by a vote count of 105-0. This [...]