Ed Henry, who led impeachment charge against Robert Bentley, enters race for U.S. Senate seat
Decatur-Republican State Rep. Ed Henry on Tuesday announced plans to run in 2018 for the state’s U.S. Senate seat that once belonged to Jeff Sessions and is currently filled by interim U.S. Sen. Luther Strange. “It seems that the time is right and God has laid this path out for us,” Henry told reporters. “We’re going to walk in His will and we’ll see what comes of it.” Last March, Henry led the charge against then-Gov. Robert Bentley bringing forth articles of impeachment aimed at unseating the scandal-ridden governor. Some have called into question Bentley’s appointment of Strange to the Senate seat vacated by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions since Strange had told Alabama lawmakers to hold off on impeaching the scandal-plagued governor while he conducted an investigation into Bentley as the state’s Attorney General. “Trump’s going to need help draining the swamp,” Henry, who was Trump’s Alabama co-chair, added. “One thing I have been able to do here is not necessarily drain the swamp but I’ve definitely dropped enough bombs in it that we’ve found some bottom-dwellers and they are floating to the top.” Henry’s announcement followed Gov. Kay Ivey‘s Tuesday morning proclamation to reschedule the special election date. The new primary date is Aug. 15, with a runoff set for Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12, a year ahead of the previously scheduled election date. In February, Bentley temporarily appointed then-Attorney General Strange to the Senate seat until Alabama could hold a special election. Bentley originally scheduled the special election to coincide with the 2018 regular election cycle, a primary in June and general election in November. Other candidates may throw their hats into the ring over the coming days, with Republican State Sen. Del Marsh saying he would decide whether he will run this week. Sens. Slade Blackwell and Trip Pittman are also considering a run, as is former Rep. Perry Hooper Jr. Watch Henry discuss his decision to run below:
Robert Bentley’s office denies resignation rumors
If Gov. Robert Bentley has anything to say about it, he’s not going to be leaving office before his term is up. A spokesperson for the governor on Monday confirmed Bentley’s plans to stay in office, denying resignation rumors the embattled Republican would vacate his office early. “Gov. Bentley takes very seriously his call to serve as Alabama’s 53rd Governor, and considers it the greatest honor of his life,” spokesperson Yasamie August said in a statement to AL.com. “He has plans only to continue to serve the people of this state, and as he stated so clearly in his 2017 State of the State address, to “finish the race.” The rumor mill surrounding a potential Bentley resignation began last week when the 74-year-old governor was twice treated at the hospital for an irregular heartbeat. The visits lead to speculation that stress is causing his health to suffer, despite the fact his office has said the medical issues have not impacted his work. Fueling the rumors further, Hartselle-Republican state Rep. Ed Henry in an interview with WTVY said he believes Bentley would resign no later than next month to avoid possible impeachment. “From what I’m hearing I would expect by mid-April that the governor either will have resigned or the impeachment committee will be moving at a very rapid pace,” Henry told WTVY. Bentley, 73, last spring admitted making inappropriate remarks to his senior political adviser but denied accusations of an affair with her and of interfering in law enforcement business, accusations both raised by his fired law enforcement secretary. Following the news, twenty-three representatives, led by Rep. Henry, signed articles of impeachment, accusing Bentley of willful neglect of duty and corruption in office. The legislative probe officially began in June 2016, but it has been off to a slow start, as lawmakers find their way through an impeachment process that has not used in a century. In November, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee suspended impeachment hearings per the state’s attorney general’s office, as they are conducting a related investigation.
A house divided: Alabama House GOP caucus split over leadership, direction
The 72 Republicans that hold a super-majority in the 105-member Alabama state House of Representatives have become “deeply divided” as they question their party’s leadership and direction as a caucus, says one state lawmaker. Decatur-Republican, state Representative Ed Henry says House GOP members nearly voted their majority leader, Representative Mickey Hammon, out of his position this week during a caucus meeting. Hammon narrowly escaped being ousted, by a singular absentee vote, during a secret-ballot confidence vote on Wednesday. Following the vote, Henry announced he was among those who cast a vote against the majority leader, claiming the party has a watered down plan for 2017 and that it needs to get back to a true conservative agenda. “Going forward, there is a desire from within from the members to form a true conservative caucus. The next several days are going to determine if there is a true fracture inside the Republican caucus,” Henry told the Associated Press. While Hammon has declined public comment on Wednesday’s vote, he did release a statement. “I will say that even after Rep. Henry raised his concerns with the Caucus, I remain Majority Leader with the support of my Republican colleagues,” said Hammon. “Though it is often difficult to lead 72 Republican House members with varying personalities and opinions, I look forward to continuing as Majority Leader as we work to reform government, recruit jobs, and improve education while using conservative beliefs and values as our guide.”
The shortlist of who could replace ousted House Speaker Mike Hubbard
After seven hours of deliberation and a 13-day trial, a Lee County jury found Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard guilty of 12 felony charges of using his government position for personal gain. A verdict that automatically removes him from office and paves the way for a special Speaker election. In the interim, while the seat remains vacant, Mobile Republican and Speaker Pro Tem Rep. Victor Gaston becomes acting speaker under state law and House rules. He will serve in this role for the “foreseeable future,” until a new Speaker is elected, according to a release from the Speaker’s office. Here are five Republicans who could ultimately replace Hubbard: Phil Williams District: House District 6 County: Limestone County, Madison County Williams has already expressed interest in the position, “I will make the move, when I feel there is broad support for the move,” Williams said in February of going after the Speakership. The statement, and subsequent move of counting potential votes, ultimately cost him his leadership position. “Yeah, I’m no longer a chairman,” Williams explains. “I was one of Speaker Hubbard’s leaders on his leadership team. He’s removed me as chairman of the Technology and Research Committee.” Click “2” below to see who else is on our short list.
Alabama Legislature passes bill to close abortion clinics near schools on final day of session
The Alabama Legislature was on a mission Wednesday, it’s last day of regular session, to tick off another to-do item the “Right for Alabama” agenda GOP leadership laid out in February. With time ticking away, the Alabama House took up a controversial bill, HB 301 sponsored by Rep. Ed Henry, a Decatur Republican, which prohibits abortion clinics from being within 2,000 feet from any K-8 public school. The bill does this by directing the Alabama Department of Public Health not to reissue licenses for any clinic within 2,000 feet of a school. Despite strong Democratic opposition and an attempt to filibuster, the bill overwhelmingly passed the state House in 73-18 vote. The bill now awaits Gov. Robert Bentley‘s signature. If signed into law, the bill would force two abortion clinics in the state to close, including one in Huntsville stationed across the street from Edward H. White Middle School, which was forced to move to its current location near a public school after the state mandated new facility requirements in 2013. “It disturbs me that a person has tried to abide by the law, and still gets penalized,” Hunstville-Democratic Rep. Laura Hall said, according to the Associated Press. “It is unfair for an individual to meet the demands of a law that we passed and when they moved, we create another law to put them basically out of business.” The state Senate had passed its version of the bill in March by a vote of 27-6. “If we currently protect a physical buffer between students and liquor stores, it is common sense that we would protect them from attending school near an abortion clinic,” Sen. Paul Sanford of Huntsville said upon the Senate’s passage of the bill. “This will not mandate any abortion clinic to shut down, but I have no problem if it forces a clinic or two to move away from our kids.”
Robert Bentley facing impeachment push: ‘I’ve done nothing wrong’
Embattled Gov. Robert Bentley on Friday maintained he has done nothing wrong, just a day after Alabama lawmakers revived an impeachment effort against him. At a press conference in his office, Bentley initially tried to side step impeachment questions but relented when pressed, imploring Alabamians to trust him. “I’ve done nothing – absolutely nothing – that is illegal or unethical,” Bentley said. Bentley faces accusations of corruption and willful neglect of duty a month after he acknowledged making inappropriate remarks to a female political adviser, but the governor says Alabamians shouldn’t worry about the possibility of impeachment. “Distractions that come around us all the time, that is not going to keep me from carrying out the purpose that I believe God put me here to do,” Bentley said. “That’s to do this job well and to do it in a way that glorifies Him but also to do it in a way that it helps the people of this state.” The governor said the past year has been difficult, but he hasn’t “neglected” his duty as governor. “I don’t want difficult times to come my way, but I have to rise above those difficult times,” Bentley said. “How can they make me stronger? Because I’m not going to give up.” A push for an investigation faltered Tuesday in the House of Representatives, but the effort was reignited Thursday when 23 lawmakers signed off on new articles of impeachment. The articles will trigger a House Judiciary Committee to probe whether there are grounds for impeachment, though it’s unclear how quickly that inquiry will proceed. “Governor Bentley has overstepped his bounds and needs to be removed from office,” said Rep. Ed Henry on Thursday. The push by some for impeachment comes after former Alabama Law Enforcement Secretary Spencer Collier accused the governor of an affair and of interfering with law enforcement investigations. Collier made the allegation a day after being fired by Bentley. Collier last week sued Bentley, Rebekah Mason and the current ALEA for defamation and wrongful termination. Bentley acknowledged making inappropriate remarks to Mason but denies an affair or misuse of office. Recordings obtained by The Associated Press purportedly show the governor – before his 2015 divorce – professing love to someone and telling her how much he enjoyed kissing her and touching her breasts, and referencing a need to start locking his office door. The former First Lady, Dianne Bentley, filed for divorce in August 2015 after 50 years of marriage. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press
Alabama House passes 11th-hour Medicaid funding patch in BP settlement compromise
A deal providing $70 million in additional funding from the BP settlement to Medicaid was struck Thursday night in the Alabama House, providing a one-time patch to the ailing health care program on the last possible day to come to a compromise during the 2016 Regular Session. Passing the House 82-12, the band-aid measure will come from the more than $1 billion in settlement funds from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill. The settlement isn’t paid in a lump sum, but is spread out over the next 17 years. But the Medicaid patch is not the only part of the grand compromise. Under the agreement, a $600 million bond would be taken out against the promise of the settlement, and used to pay back $448 million in debt obligations and $191 million in infrastructure funding to Mobile and Baldwin Counties, in addition to the funds going to Medicaid. The $70 million Medicaid money is still $15 short of what the agency requested, and has detractors on both sides of the issue. Ed Henry, Republican of Hartselle and other legislators and interested parties are concerned this amounts to kicking the can down the road once again. “What I do hate is the idea of spending one-time money on Medicaid,” said Henry. The Senate left their record open to receive messages from the House, ensuring the compromise can be taken up by the upper body in the last two days of the Regular Session. Both the House and Senate are adjourned until Tuesday. They are expected to reconvene Tuesday, and conclude the year’s session Wednesday.
Bill passed to keep abortion clinics 2,000 feet from Alabama schools
An Alabama House committee has passed a bill to keep abortion clinics at least 2,000 feet away from public schools. The House Health Committee voted Wednesday in favor of HB 301 sponsored by Rep. Ed Henry, a Decatur Republican. The bill directs the Alabama Department of Public Health not to reissue licenses for any clinic within 2,000 feet of a school. The bill passed the state Senate in March by a vote of 27-6, and will now move to the full House for a vote. “If we currently protect a physical buffer between students and liquor stores, it is common sense that we would protect them from attending school near an abortion clinic,” Sen. Paul Sanford of Huntsville said upon the Senate’s passage of the bill. “This will not mandate any abortion clinic to shut down, but I have no problem if it forces a clinic or two to move away from our kids.” If signed into law, the bill would force two abortion clinics in the state to close, including one in Huntsville stationed across the street from Edward H. White Middle School, which was forced to move to its current location near a public school after the state mandated new facility requirements in 2013. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama has vowed to challenge the restrictions in court if it clears the House, which would be the fourth lawsuit in the last three years challenging abortion restrictions in Alabama. “We all agree that protecting our children is a top priority. But this law isn’t about protecting Alabama’s children,” stated Susan Watson, Executive Director of the ACLU of Alabama in March when the bill passed the state Senate. “It’s about making a sure a woman who has decided to have an abortion can’t get one.” “And make no mistake about it: If the legislature passes this bill, the ACLU will challenge this law in court,” Watson stated. If the bill is signed into law, Alabama will become one of the first states in the nation to have a school proximity provision for abortion clinics.
Jim Zeigler slams Robert Bentley, calls for “executive recall” mechanism to oust Governor
State Auditor Jim Zeigler is an old foe of Gov. Robert Bentley. Now that the governor is now embattled over accusations of inappropriate behavior towards a former staffer – and widespread opposition from members of his own Republican Party – Zeigler made remarks over the weekend indicating he does not intend to ease off now. Zeigler spoke to supporters of the so-called Common Sense Campaign, a conservative political group, in the town of Theodore over the weekend, away from the scourge of “Sodom and Montgomery.” There, he excoriated the governor for what he called — appropriating the famous Hank Williams song — “His Cheatin’ Heart.” “When tears come down like fallin’ rain / You’ll toss around and call her name,” recited Zeigler in a bawdy send-up of Zeigler. “But she won’t come the whole night through / because her cushy job is through.” Zeigler served up invective against both Zeigler and the lawmakers who have made little progress in fledgling efforts to impeach him. Calling his summary of the matter a “Lack of Progress Report,” Zeigler noted a bill to begin impeachment proceedings filed by Rep. Ed Henry has not been taken up in committee and stands little chance of passing before the Legislature adjourns by May 16. Zeigler said that means no legislative impeachment process could take effect until 2017 at the earliest. “The people of Alabama want and need a solution to the serious problems in the governor’s office soon, not in 2017,” said Zeigler. “To allow the dysfunction… to linger until 2017 is not acceptable.” Towards that end, Zeigler proposed legislative to create what he dubbed an “executive recall.” The bill, which he said was more likely to pass than existing mechanisms, would: Propose a constitutional amendment establishing a recall process for all seven members of the Cabinet, including the offices of governor and state auditor, to be voted on in November 2016; Provide that a petition by 10 percent of registered voters may trigger such a process; and If recalled, a special election to replace the governor would be held within 120 days. The process would avoid the usual order of succession should a governor step down, whereby an existing officer would take their place because that way, “The people remain in control, not Montgomery politicians.”
New committee to investigate allegations against Robert Bentley
The Alabama House of Representatives is expected to vote next week to establish a 15-person investigatory committee to probe the possible impeachment of Gov. Robert Bentley. Rep. Ed Henry, R-Hartselle, said Wednesday he will propose a new rule to create the committee, which would have subpoena power and could meet after the Legislature adjourns. He added the House could vote on it by next Wednesday or Thursday. Henry would like to impose a six-month deadline on any committee investigation. Bentley last month acknowledged making sexually charged remarks to a female aide, who has since resigned. The admission came after former Alabama Law Enforcement Secretary Spencer Collier, a day after being fired by Bentley, accused the governor of having an affair and of interfering with law enforcement investigations. Bentley denies allegations of a physical affair and misuse of his office. Bentley said Tuesday there is “no basis” for impeachment. Henry had initially filed articles of impeachment accusing Bentley of “willful neglect of duty, incompetence, corruption and moral turpitude,” but said Wednesday the legislature quickly realized it had no framework to conduct an impeachment process. “”We never left square one,” Henry said. “What became crystal clear was that we do not have a mechanism to deal with this. We’ve been sitting on square one for the last eight days … and now we can move to step two.” House Speaker Mike Hubbard said Wednesday that he and the “vast majority of the House” think impeachment is “premature” at this juncture. “We have to be careful about these things,” Hubbard said. “We don’t know of any wrongdoing, we don’t know any of the facts yet.” Hubbard is currently facing 23 felony ethics charges of using his political offices to benefit his businesses. Bentley is expected to be a witness at his trial next month. Henry is confident he has the votes to establish the investigatory committee, and said the public’s appetite to pursue impeachment is only growing. He said a committee would be an “information gathering” body and have no power itself to move impeachment forward. Legislators can call an impeachment session at any time outside of the regular session and likely will if the committee finds probable cause, Henry said. Henry said the legislature believes it “inherently” has subpoena power but acknowledges that will likely be challenged. A bill currently in the Senate would allow committees to enforce subpoenas through the circuit courts. Alabama voters in November, as part of a piece-by-piece rewrite to the Alabama Constitution, will vote on changes to the part of the Alabama Constitution that deals with impeachment. The proposed change clarifies that it requires a two-thirds vote in the Alabama Senate to remove someone from office. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Jeff Sessions elected chairman of ALGOP national convention delegation
When delegates elected in Alabama’s March 1st primary travel to Cleveland, Ohio, for the Republican National Convention in July they will be led by Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, the highest-profile elected official to have endorsed frontrunner Donald Trump. Sessions was elected Saturday at an ALGOP delegation meeting as chair of the group, which consists of 50 pledged delegates, and 47 alternative delegates, who will be elected in May. Of Alabama’s delegates, 36 are pledged to Trump and 14 to Cruz. Chairman of Alabama’s delegation isn’t the only position Sessions has earned since announcing his open support of Trump in February. Last month the billionaire named Sessions chairman of his national security advisory committee. “We need to understand the limits of our ability to intervene successfully in other nations,” said Sessions when the appointment was announced. “It is time for a healthy dose of foreign policy realism. In the Middle East, this means forming partnerships based on shared interests, not merely overthrowing regimes in the dangerous attempt to plant democracies.” But having at the helm of the delegation one of most influential and vocal Trump campaign supporters could guard against any strategies to woo Alabama’s delegates to another candidate, should the convention be contested. In addition to Sessions’ election as chair, Trump delegates Representative Ed Henry (R-Hartselle) and Laura Payne were elected to represent Alabama on the Rules Committee, which will decide the rules under which the convention proceeds. These two positions, held in Alabama by staunch Trump supporters, could end up being some of the most important on the delegation. Traveling to Cleveland a few days before the convention, the members of the Rules Committee will decide what threshold a candidate must meet, and under what conditions, to become the party’s nominee. In what is shaping up to be a hotly contested convention, the Rules Committee will have even more influence than in previous years.
Impeachment call latest complication for Robert Bentley
Two weeks after admitting to sexually charged remarks to a female aide, embattled Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley faces a call for his impeachment from a bipartisan group of lawmakers who said the public has lost confidence in the Republican governor. Although the impeachment effort is considered a longshot in the legislative session that ends next month, it is a sign of the governor’s growing political troubles in the wake of the scandal. “We are looking at this governor who has essentially betrayed the trust of the people of Alabama through actions and lies that have caused us to have some doubt about his leadership,” Rep. Ed Henry said during a news conference at the Alabama Statehouse. Henry introduced the five-page articles of impeachment Tuesday, accusing Bentley of moral turpitude, willful neglect of duty, corruption and incompetence. Bentley lashed out at the effort Tuesday, saying he would vigorously defend himself. “Today’s press conference is nothing more than political grandstanding intended to grab headlines and take the focus away from the important issues the Legislature still has to address before the end of the session,” Bentley said in a statement. Bentley last month admitted making inappropriate remarks to his senior political adviser, Rebekah Caldwell Mason, who has since resigned. The admission came after former Alabama Law Enforcement Secretary Spencer Collier, a day after being fired by Bentley, accused the governor of having an affair with Mason and of interfering with law enforcement investigations. Bentley has denied both accusations. Yet the scandal has engulfed Bentley, a mild-mannered dermatologist and former Baptist deacon whose political ascendency was based partly on his morally upright, honest reputation. Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled Alabama Legislature are not pushing the impeachment effort. The resolution was sent to the House Rules Committee, where it will likely linger for the 11 meeting days remaining in the legislative session without a floor vote. House Rules Committee Chairman Mac McCutcheon said the committee would first establish an investigating commission to vet the articles of impeachment and determine whether grounds exist for impeachment. Some Alabama lawmakers quickly dismissed the impeachment effort as premature. “I’m not in the mood to impeach someone over personal issues. Unless someone can show us a reason — that someone has misused their office or misused tax dollars — and I haven’t seen that,” said Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, the GOP’s leader in the chamber. Republican Rep. Jack Williams said Tuesday that he can’t support an impeachment process “wrought with stoked-up emotion.” Williams said the governor deserves due process as the state Ethics Commission conducts its investigation. “It’s the wrong day and the wrong way,” Williams said. Alabama lawmakers have never previously tried to impeach a sitting governor. The state constitution spells out a vague but seldom-used procedure for impeachment. If the House of Representatives approves the impeachment resolution, a trial would be held in the Alabama Senate. But the impeachment effort is another indication of the shift in the fortunes of a governor who has banked on his scrupulous character. “There is a crisis of confidence, and this needs to be resolved,” Republican Rep. Mike Ball said. Dianne Bentley, the governor’s ex-wife, filed for divorce in 2015, saying their 50-year marriage had suffered an irreparable breakdown. Recordings obtained by The Associated Press purportedly show the governor — before his divorce — professing love to someone named Rebecca or Rebekah and telling her how much he enjoyed kissing her and touching her breasts. “I love you so much; I worry about loving you so much,” Bentley says on the call. The governor in a news conference last month said he did not have a “physical affair” with Mason and that there was no “sexual activity.” Henry said the recordings cast doubt on Bentley’s description and undermine the governor’s credibility on that and other issues. The impeachment articles lay out few specifics of the charges against the governor but cite an “inappropriate relationship” with Mason and suspicions that he might have inappropriately used his office resources to conceal or advance the relationship. The impeachment articles also cite a lack of transparency in how Mason was paid. Mason was not on payroll, but was paid by Bentley’s campaign. Bentley has a habit of saying in speeches how much he loves the people of his state. Henry said voters do not reciprocate the affection right now. “If he truly loves the people of this state, he’ll step down,” Henry said. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
