Steve Flowers: Incumbency prevails in 2022 State House races
Folks, believe it or not, we are closing in on six months before next year’s election year. The primary election is set for May 24, 2022. In Alabama, all our major constitutional officers are on the ballot next year. The governor’s office is the premier race in the state, and that coveted and powerful post is set for its four-year quadrennial run. Therefore, this big political year is referred to as the gubernatorial year. Those of us who follow Alabama politics have been salivating with anticipation for a cavalcade of great races. However, the power of incumbency has devasted the big year into a yawn. All the major state offices are held by popular incumbents, who are either running unopposed or have minimal opposition. The consolation prize was that there would be the legislative races. After all, this is where the real power in the state rests. You can simply look at where the special interest and PAC money is spent to verify that fact. However, the omnipotent power of incumbency has also encroached on those races. The Alabama House of Representatives has 105 members. There are 77 Republicans and 28 Democrats. The large majority of incumbents are running for reelection – both Republicans and Democrats. The overwhelming majority of these incumbents will have no opposition. However, in the House, there will be some major changes in leadership because of retirement or moving on to new posts. Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon is not running for reelection. This has created an interesting and spirited race within the Republican Caucus ranks for Speaker. In addition, Victor Gaston of Mobile, who is Speaker Pro Tem, is also retiring. Bill Poole of Tuscaloosa, who chaired the powerful House Ways and Means Education Budget Committee, has left the House to be the State Finance Director. House Rules Committee Chairman Mike Jones of Andalusia is running for the open Senate seat of retiring Senator Jimmy Holley. Two of the freshman House members are running for statewide office. Wes Allen of Troy is running for Secretary of State, and Andrew Sorrell of Tuscumbia is running for State Auditor. In addition, Connie Rowe of Jasper is leaving the House to become an administrative assistant to Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth. Some of the veteran House members who are choosing to hang up their legislative cleats include Howard Sanderford of Huntsville, Mike Ball of Huntsville, K.L. Brown of Jacksonville, Kerry Rich of Marshall, Allen Farley of Jefferson, Harry Shiver of Baldwin, Mike Holmes of Elmore, and Becky Nordgren of Etowah. The most noteworthy retiree may be Representative Steve McMillan of Baldwin County, who is retiring after serving close to 43 years in the House. Steve has been a quiet yet very effective voice for the people of Baldwin County. They all will be missed. Some of the high profile and powerful members of the House, who will return for another four years with no or token opposition, are Steve Clouse of Ozark, Nathaniel Ledbetter of Dekalb County, and Danny Garrett, Jim Carns, David Wheeler, and David Faulkner of Jefferson. Danny Garrett has ascended to Chairman of the House Ways and Means Education. Other leaders returning are Chris Pringle, Reed Ingram, Randall Shedd, Tracy Estes, Chris Sells, David Standridge, Ginny Shaver, Jim Hill, Alan Baker, Joe Lovvorn, Chris Blackshear, Kyle South, Paul Lee, Jeff Sorrells, Rhett Marques, Steve Hurst, Joe Faust, and Margie Wilcox. The Democratic leadership will remain intact. There is an illustrious array of House Democratic leaders, including Anthony Daniels, Chris England, Laura Hall, Peb Warren, Barbara Boyd, A.J. McCampbell, Berry Forte, Dexter Grimsley, Thomas Jackson, Kevin Lawrence, Mary Moore, Juandalynn Givan, and veteran John Rogers. Two of the Democratic House veterans from Jefferson County, Louise Alexander and Merika Coleman, are both running for an open Jefferson County Senate Seat, leaving both their House seats up for grabs. There may be an increase in the number of females in the House of Representatives. It has already begun with the election of Cynthia Almond of Tuscaloosa, who was elected without opposition to replace Bill Poole. In addition, Patrice Penni McClammy won the Montgomery District 76 seat of her late father, Thad McClammy. She won with no opposition. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama papers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Push for greater equality: Adline Clarke proposes ‘gender pay gap’ bill
It’s a fact: women earn less than men. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women who worked full-time, year-round in 2014 earned on average, 79% of men’s median annual earnings. That’s not sitting well with one Alabama lawmaker who’s hoping her gender pay gap legislation makes it across the finish line as the 2018 legislative session nears its close. HB368, sponsored by Mobile-Democrat State Rep. Adline Clarke, would prohibit employers from paying their employees less than the wage they would pay a member of the opposite sex for a similar job or responsibilities when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility, as specified. Alabama is one of only two states, along with Mississippi, without an equal pay law. “Nearly every state has a law prohibiting employers differently based solely on gender. I’m disappointed. I would have thought we would have passed a long long before now,” Clarke told AL.com “Timing is everything.” However, HB368, also known as the “Gender Pay Gap,” would not just make wage inequality illegal, but would also add several provisions to the law including: Requires an employer to affirmatively demonstrate that a wage differential is based upon one or more specified factors Prohibits an employer from discharging, or in any manner discriminating against. or retaliating against an employee for the enforcement of these provisions Provides for enforcement of the bill Provides that an employer may not prohibit an employee from disclosing the employee’s own wages, discussing the wages of others, inquiring about another employee’s wages, or aiding or encouraging any other employee to exercise his or her rights under these provisions And requires an employer to maintain a record of wages paid to his 15 or her employee for a certain amount of time. The proposal, filed on Feb. 1, is scheduled to appear before the Alabama House State Government Committee on March 21. Alexander City-Republican State Rep. Mark Tuggle, the committee’s chairman, hopes to have Clarke’s proposal on the committee agenda next week. The bill currently has 26 co-sponsors, both Republicans and Democrats: Autauga County-Democrat Kelvin Lawrence Mobile County-Democrat Barbara Drummond Barbour County-Democrat Barry Forte Perry County-Democrat Prince Chestnut Jefferson County-Democrat Rolanda Hollis Madison County-Democrat Anthony Daniels Jefferson County-Democrat Rod Scott Tallapoosa County-Democrat Pebblin Warren Choctaw County-Democrat Elaine Beech Madison County-Democrat Laura Hall Jefferson County-Democrat Merika Coleman Jefferson County-Democrat Mary Moore Mobile County-Democrat Napolean Bracy Blount County-Republican Connie Rowe Shelby County-Republican April Weaver Talladega County-Democrat Barbara Boyd Jefferson County-Democrat Juandalynn Givan Etowah County-Republican Becky Nordgren Morgan County-Republican Terri Collins Montgomery County-Democrat John F. Knight Montgomery County-Democrat Thad McClammy Tuscaloosa County-Democrat Artis McCampbell Mobile County-Democrat James Buskey Bibb County-Democrat Ralph Howard Lauderdale County-Democrat Marcel Black Houston County-Democrat Dexter Grimsley
Bill would protect children, establish Alabama Child Abuse Hotline
A bill from Rep. Becky Nordgren (R-Gadsden) would create the Alabama Child Abuse Hotline, a toll-free number where child abuse can be reported. The text of HB353 specifies that the Department of Human Resources (ADHR) would be tasked with adopting rules regarding the establishment and management of the hotline, which is to be advertised in a place of prominence in every public and charter school throughout the state. According to numbers available on the Alabama Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers’ website, more than 1,500 children died as a result of child abuse in 2011. Of those, about 75 percent suffered neglect, 15 percent suffered physical abuse and just under 10 percent suffered sexual abuse. Children under the age of one suffered the highest rates of victimization. According to ADHR’s 2014 report, which is the most recent available on the department’s website, more that 32,000 cases of child abuse or neglect were investigated – involving more than 50,000 children. That number has increased every year since 2011. A report by the Children’s Defense Fund puts it this way – in Alabama, a child is abused or neglected every 56 minutes and a child dies before his or her first birthday every 14 hours. Though the legislation currently has no co-sponsors, it is likely to gain wide support in the House and Senate, where Republicans have made families a centerpiece of their 2016 agenda. Nordgren did not respond to a request for comment.
