Paul DeMarco: Kay Ivey ensures Alabama assist Hurricane recovery efforts in Appalachia
Paul DeMarco: Alabama Construction Industry important pillar of State’s Economy
Since the pandemic, the Alabama economy has had its ups and downs. However, the good news is that the business climate in Alabama has outperformed other states. One sector of the Alabama business community that has really increased is the construction industry. A recent study by the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama showed that between 2015 to 2021 there was a 97 percent increase in commercial construction output to the tune of $9.4 billion. When you look at the direct impacts on all output payroll and employment, the earnings were over $11 billion. Most importantly the workforce in the Alabama construction industry has reached an estimated 200,000 jobs in this period. For Alabama, agriculture and manufacturing are the leading industries in the state. You can now add the construction industry, which comprises 6.7 percent of Alabama’s gross domestic product and creates over 7 percent of the jobs in the state. All in all, the construction industry creates more than a half a billion in taxes paid to the state. While Alabama has plenty of both public and private building needs, some of the state’s construction firms compete across the Southeast and Nation as some of the United States’ most productive companies in the industry. As Alabama has grown, the state economy has diversified to provide more job opportunities and income for state coffers. The construction industry has now become one of the essential drivers of the Alabama economy. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X, formerly Twitter, at @Paul_DeMarco
Paul DeMarco: Governor Kay Ivey should call a Special Session to address crime
Violent crime in our state continues to get worse. In Birmingham alone, homicides are up by 15 percent after the first six months of the year. And look at Montgomery, where homicides have increased by 93 percent over the past five years. There is no question public safety has become the number one problem in this state and is not being addressed at the local level. Thus, it will be up to state leaders to strengthen the Alabama’s criminal justice system. This past Spring, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry called a special session to address the horrific crime rates that have made some of the cities in his state some of the most dangerous places to live in the country. State leaders understood that they could not wait any longer to address the problem, as it was just creating more crime victims. Louisiana lawmakers successfully passed legislation that gave more tools to law enforcement and prosecutors to go after the bad guys. Alabama should follow suit. Governor Kay Ivey should work with Attorney General Steve Marshall and Alabama legislators to approve new laws to deter crime and punish those that wound endanger the public. Now is the time to bring the stakeholders in the criminal justice system together to study entire system from crime, to arrest, to sentencing and incarceration. Then those recommendations should be the basis of bills to propose to take on the violent crime in the state. Most importantly, there should be truth in sentencing implemented in this state. Just as in Louisiana, Alabama leadership should address crime and public safety sooner rather than later. Paul DeMarco is a former Alabama House of Representatives member and served as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. He can be found on X, formerly Twitter, at @Paul_DeMarco
Paul DeMarco: Busy Alabama 2024 Legislative session finally comes to an end
Now that everyone is back home after another session of the Alabama Legislature, we can look back to evaluate what lawmakers did and did not get done. There is plenty of good, bad and ugly that happened the past few months. There were a number of bills that will increase public safety that became law and a few that would have weakened the justice system that failed. Thank goodness there are some legislators who listened to their constituents who made it clear that public safety must be the foremost priority. No question though, lawmakers will have to fight efforts by progressive advocacy groups to release more violent felons back on the streets in next year’s session There were record budgets that were appropriated for the general fund and public education that were approved that may be the last for a while with the questions about the economy making legislators nervous for the future. There has been a lot of money put in rainy-day accounts that may come into play soon. There was major education reform and election integrity bills that passed that were major wins for the citizens of the state. These were a long time coming but finally gained majority votes to make it to the governor’s desk. Of course, the controversy related to in vitro fertilization was addressed very quickly by state representatives and senators. We will see if that issue is resolved or will lingering questions be addressed in coming sessions. But what has gotten the most attention was the Alabama Legislature came one vote away from approving a Constitutional Amendment to allow voters to decide on whether they would approve the legalization of gambling in the state. This debate has been going on for decades but came the closet in 25 years to positioning the state to allowing gaming in Alabama. There is always the possibility that Governor Kay Ivey could call a special session this year, but it is unlikely unless some major issue that is time sensitive comes up. For now everyone is back home, but there will still be a lot of discussion on the past legislative session and what it will mean for the next one in 2025. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He can be found on X formerly Twitter at @Paul_DeMarco
Paul DeMarco: Work release for convicted killer raises more questions about Alabama Department of Corrections
Our Nation has a violent crime problem that continues to spike. Some states have made it even worse with their efforts to defund the police and weaken their criminal justice system. In addition, soft-on-crime prosecutors and judges in some jurisdictions have created a revolving door allowing repeat felons to remain on the streets. Yet, considering Alabama is generally a conservative state, most of our citizens would not think we would have those issues here. Unfortunately, it has become evident that the Alabama Legislature must rein in the discretion given to the Department of Corrections due to some reckless decision-making when it comes to work release. An example is the case of Cindy Kaye Henderson Reese, who was sentenced for the murder of her husband, Michael Reese, in 2017 At trial, it was determined that she shot her husband in the head and then staged a robbery at their home in Morris, a small town in Jefferson County. After her conviction, she was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Upon hearing all the evidence in the case, the trial judge set her prison release date for September 2055. However, merely three years later, despite being found guilty of killing her husband, the Alabama DOC decided to transfer Cindy Reese to a work-release program in Birmingham. Protests from the victim’s family resulted in her being sent back to prison. However, that is not the end of the story. ADOC has again opted to allow Cindy Reese to serve her sentence in a work release program. To make matters worse, the Alabama Department of Corrections has determined she doesn’t “pose a significant risk to self or others and [is] suitable to be assigned off-property work details without the direct supervision of correctional officers.” Surely, this is not what the public expects of our criminal justice system for those convicted of premeditated murder. What is worse is that lawmakers mandated victim notification in these cases. Volunteer victim advocates pushed for that change, yet here we are now. This is the second time that this has happened, and ADOC owes this family an answer on why they have again transferred Cindy Reese to a work center where she will have “job opportunities in the local community,” according to ADOC’s website. She’s not even eligible for a parole review until 2030, yet ADOC has arbitrarily found her to be suitable to be out in the community. It should not be too much to expect that someone convicted of murder must be required to spend their sentence behind bars in a state prison. If the Alabama Department of Corrections will not do this, then members of the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate should rein in the discretion given to ADOC and address this problem in the upcoming legislative session on behalf of crime victims and public safety. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and served as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
Paul DeMarco: Alabama lawmakers could take up gambling in regular or special session in early 2024
There is a lot of inside baseball to understand the inner workings of the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate. Understanding the politics of how the sausage is made at the statehouse can mean the difference between a bill getting passed or ever making it out of committee. When there are pieces of legislation that state leaders want to really see become law, one sure way to ensure the votes are there to get the job done is for the governor to call a special session. In Alabama, the executive branch has a lot of power to direct state dollars and move legislation. By isolating a bill in a special session, a governor can focus lawmakers on one or more pieces of legislation they want to see passed. We have seen it in the past, including redistricting, incentives for economic development projects, and an increase of the gasoline tax. It may still be 2023, but the plans are already being laid for the upcoming 2024 meeting of the Alabama Legislature, and it could include gambling, that gets special treatment. With just four months to go, bills are being drafted, and lawmakers are playing the numbers game to see if they can get their legislation passed. And get ready to hear a lot about gambling as lobbyists are working on avoiding a traditional repeat performance. Year after year, there is bill after bill to attempt to get around the constitutional barriers to gambling in Alabama. Recent efforts have passed the Senate but have died in the Alabama House of Representatives. However, this time House and Senate leadership look to support a Constitutional Amendment to legalize and regulate gaming in the state. Ultimately, it will be voters who make a final decision, but only if legislators give them this opportunity. We will see if the opposition stops this bill before it makes it this far as they have in the past. Special sessions should only be called for the most pressing issues in our state. With that said, it should be easy to figure out that what we really need is a special session to address our state’s spree of violent crime. Public safety is the foremost responsibility of state leaders. Thus, Alabama leaders should look to make crime prevention and our criminal justice system first on the docket come the new year, either in a regular or special session, if that is what it takes. We will see soon enough in early 2024. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X, formerly Twitter, at @Paul_DeMarco.
Problems around the world remind us of Thanksgiving blessings right here in Alabama
The American tradition of Thanksgiving is special for a lot of reasons. The opportunity to celebrate our blessings with our family and friends may come to mind first. Yet, it is also a day that we are thankful for our Nation and the freedoms and liberties we enjoy as United States citizens. With all the challenges we face in the Nation and the world, it would be easy to be cynical about the holiday this year. However, reflecting back on the origins of the original Thanksgiving enjoyed by the Pilgrims and Native Americans, it should remind us how difficult they had it back in the fall of 1621. When we look at the current headlines, we may rightly question the future direction of our country. Crippling inflation, the crisis at the border, out-of-control violent crime, and the threats to national security make it easy to want to look for other reasons to be thankful. Add to that the wars being fought in Europe and the Middle East; it is enough to really question what to show gratitude for this year. Sometimes, it takes a child to help us really appreciate what we should be thankful for in our lives. My young son is studying Alabama history for the first time. With a freshly drawn map of our state, he proudly rolled off all of the attributes that make our state such a good place to call home. From the Appalachian mountains in the north to the beaches on the Gulf to Mexico, Alabama has beautiful topography and geography, he reminded me. He recounted to me, from pine trees to iron ore, all of the abundant natural resources our state has to share with our country and the world. However, what excited him the most was talking about all of the famous people who have hailed from Alabama. This made his point even more clear about our state: it is the people who live here that make it so special. We live in a state where it is true that neighbors really do take care of each other, and its citizens are proud to be American. Thus, as my son reminded me when we look around at the place we call home, Alabama and its citizens really do shine as a state. When we thank God at our meal table for the blessings this week for the country we live in, let us also say grace for having the privilege to live in our small part of the world, sweet home, Alabama. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X, formerly Twitter, at @Paul_DeMarco.
MARC panelists predict 2024 election will be Donald Trump versus Joe Biden
On Saturday, four political pundits addressed the membership of the Mid-Alabama Republican Club (MARC) in Vestavia Hills about the coming 2024 presidential election year. The MARC panel included syndicated columnist former State Representative Steve Flowers (R-Troy). Flower’s columns can be read weekly here at Alabama Today. Alabama Today President and Publisher Apryl Marie Fogel served on the expert politico panel. Fogel is a former talk radio host in the Montgomery market. Rounding out the panel were Alabama Public Television’s Capital Journal host Todd Stacy and former Alabama Republican Chairman Marty Connors. Connors chairs the Alabama Center Right Group. The panel was moderated by former State Rep. Paul DeMarco (R-Homewood). DeMarco, a prominent Birmingham attorney, is also a former MARC President and the former Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. DeMarco’s columns can also be read at Alabama Today. DeMarco asked the panel about the Alabama Republican Presidential Debate scheduled for next month in Tuscaloosa. The panel was skeptical that anyone on stage could win the GOP nomination. “I really think the debates are irrelevant,” Flowers said. “[Donald] Trump has the nomination.” “I imagine it will be Trump and Biden,” said Fogel. “We have some really great candidates, but does it matter?” Stacey said. “You have two candidates in Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis.” Recent national polling has President Joe Biden’s job approval at just 37% – a new all-time low for a President in their third year. More troubling for Democrats is the polling in the swing states. In recent polls, Trump leads Biden 49 to 44 in Arizona, 49 to 43 in Georgia, 48 to 43 in Michigan, 52 to 41 in Nevada, 42 to 35 in Ohio, 48 to 44 in Pennsylvania, and 45 to 37 in Texas. The only swing state where Biden is currently leading Trump is Wisconsin, where he leads Trump to 47 to 45. When the New York Times substituted Gov. Ron DeSantis for Trump, he beats Biden 48 to 44 in Wisconsin. Former Ambassador Nikki Haley leads Biden 53 to 39 in Wisconsin – showing that support for Biden is extremely soft at this point. DeMarco asked the panelists if that polling was scaring Democrats. “The polls are really bad looking for Biden,” said Flowers. “I like what we are seeing in the polls,” said Fogel. “You can see a scenario where he bows out,” Stacy said. “He makes the decision that he doesn’t want to run again, and then they get another nominee.” “You can change horses, but it would have to be somebody who has already qualified,” Connors said. “I think it is too late for it to be somebody else,” said Flowers. On Tuesday, Republican Governor Tate Reeves won reelection with a margin of less than four points. Democratic Governor Andy Beshears defeated Attorney General David Cameron in Kentucky. Republicans in Virginia lost control of the General Assembly. Voters voted in favor of a pro-choice and pro-gender transition plank in their state Constitution. DeMarco asked if Tuesday’s election results were disappointing for Republicans. “Going into 2022, the Democrats are really on their heels,” Stacy said. “The economy is crummy. The President is crummy. Democrats should be on their heels.” “The lessons from Ohio and Virginia are on the abortion issue,” Stacy said. “Republicans have not been adept at this.” “Democrats say that Republicans want to take your rights away,” Stacy continued. “That is what they are going to cling to.” Connors said that Republicans need better messaging on how much they care for the child after it is born. “I don’t view those races as precursors to next year,” Flowers said. “There is a lot of infighting within the Republican party,” Fogel stated. Fogel recalled how the nation just watched the Republicans in the House of Representatives divide into different sides over who the Speaker was. “We need to remember who the enemy is,” Fogel said. DeMarco asked if the Republican National Committee Chair, Ronna Romney McDaniel, needs to be replaced. “I think there is a fatigue issue with her,” Connors said. “We have had three elections in a row under her where Republicans did not do well.” “I absolutely think we need a new Party Chair,” said Fogel. “We have lost the momentum on the ground.” “I am not sure how much it really matters,” said Stacy. “The RNC has become a lot less influential and powerful than it once was.” The MARC steering committee announced that it has recommended that Birmingham area attorney Janey Whitney be President of the Club for 2024. The MARC meets on the second Saturday of every month in the Vestavia Hills Public Library at 8:30 a.m. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Paul DeMarco: Next year’s elections in 2024 should see an increase in Alabama voter turnout
This past week, there were two special elections in Alabama to elect new members of the Alabama House of Representatives. Considering that there are only 105 state representatives in our state, these were important elections for the state as well as for these two districts and their constituents. Thus, it was disappointing that the turnout rate for voters in these two elections was under 10 percent. Unfortunately, it is not surprising to see the lack of turnout for elections outside of the presidential primaries and general elections, as we will see in 2024. Yet, potential voters should appreciate that in a low-turnout election, their vote becomes even more important. In addition, Alabama State Representatives hold a powerful role in our state, and thus, who holds these seats are important to them. Hopefully, we will see a more engaged electorate in the future to ensure we elect the best and brightest to hold public office in Alabama. With 2024 being a presidential year, Alabama voters will likely show up in higher proportions than in other years, as past elections have shown. There is a difference in this year’s election in that the Alabama GOP changed its rules, and presidential delegates will no longer be selected by the Alabama voters. Rather, the state party executive committee will choose the delegates who will attend the Republican Party Convention next summer. Alabama voters will still go to the polls to select their nominee for each party. With all of the turmoil in Washington, D.C., you can bet there will be an even larger turnout next year than normal. In addition, there will be plenty of candidates on the ballot for voters to consider, including those running for the Alabama Public Service Commission, State Board of Education, state judges, and circuit clerks. Plus, all of the United States Congressional seats in Alabama are open, and there will be a number of contested elections, including a newly created district. Qualifying ends on Friday, November 10th. Thus, there will be a lot to watch for the next couple of weeks as candidates start their campaigns in earnest for the upcoming elections. So get ready for the marathon run-up to the spring party primaries and general elections in the fall of 2024. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X (formerly Twitter) at @Paul_DeMarco.
Paul DeMarco: Alabama grocery tax reduction underway, state leaders have more work ahead
This past September, the Alabama grocery tax was reduced from four cents to three cents after state lawmakers passed legislation this past session. This type of legislation has been debated for decades but never went anywhere because of the concern about the money that would be reduced to fund Alabama public schools. However, Alabama has seen record surpluses for both the general and education budgets. With more money to work with, Alabama State Representatives and Senators were finally able to make the first moves toward the ultimate removal of the tax on groceries. In addition, to the first move, another penny will go away in 2024 if state education revenues grow by 3.5 percent. Thus, within two years, the reduction of the tax at the local grocery will potentially be cut in half. Alabama is one of just a few states that still has a tax on groceries. Thus, Alabama legislators are already looking at what it will take to remove the other two cents as well. Yet, there are cities that tax groceries in Alabama, so we are now starting to see movement there as well. This past week, the city of Hoover dropped its grocery tax by half a percent as well. The city of Clay cut their tax in half, from four cents to two cents last year. So hopefully we will see more cities and the state take action next year to provide more relief for grocery shoppers in Alabama. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X (formerly Twitter) at @Paul_DeMarco.
Paul DeMarco: ACLU attacks Alabama Parole Board at the expense of crime victims
No one should be surprised that the Alabama ACLU is at it again. This time, the far-left organization is attacking the work of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. The ACLU is just another liberal group that puts the interest of felons convicted of violent crimes above victims and insists that these inmates must be released on Alabama streets, although they could endanger the public. The ACLU is out with a new report critical of the Parole Board for not releasing more inmates from state prisons. Part of ACLU’s criticism is that the Parole Board actually heeds the opposition of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and crime victims. It just shows how out of touch the ACLU is with Alabama citizens that the group actually criticized the Board for taking into strong consideration the input of Attorney General Steve Marshall, victims, and the victim advocacy group VOCAL. Their other concern is that Parole Board Chair Leigh Gwathney actually looks at each parole request on a case-by-case basis and will not release anyone she feels will be a danger to Alabama citizens. Thank goodness the Chair is doing her job in actually looking at the facts and circumstances of each case and not rubber-stamping a result. She is to be praised for listening to those impacted by crime and the state’s top prosecutor. Although intended to have the opposite effect, the report from the ACLU, in reality, actually spotlights what an effective job Gwathney is doing as Chair of the Board. The ACLU makes the same tired arguments that not enough of those incarcerated in Alabama prisons are being released. When critics denounce the number of paroles being granted, they often ignore the many factors the Parole Board considers, including what environment might the inmate be released into. Does the offender have a “home plan” and work already lined up? Who will help hold them accountable, or will the inmate return to the same circle of “friends” they were with when they committed their crime? The ACLU also argues that the Parole Board should release inmates who are currently in ADOC’s work release program, indicating that these individuals must be low-risk. But, the supervision levels of work release and parole are vastly different. Further, how long a particular inmate has been in work release could be a factor; maybe the Parole Board wants the offender to demonstrate success in that structured environment for a longer period. Simply being in ADOC’s work release program should not be seen as a qualifier for parole, especially since news headlines often tell of Alabama inmates who have escaped from work release. Additionally, ACLU’s report indicates that “Alabama’s parole grant rate has dropped to historic lows,” but they’re comparing today’s number of paroles granted to the recklessness of the Parole Board in 2017-18 when more than 50 percent of paroles were approved (and more than 80 percent of Alabama’s inmates are incarcerated for violent crimes). While public safety is paramount, we cannot ignore that “justice” is another important goal of incarceration. In a recent press release, the ACLU demanded, “It is time for incarcerated Alabamians to come home.” Unfortunately, the families of murder victims will never see their deceased loved ones “come home.” Alabama citizens should demand that their state representatives and senators finally enact truth-in-sentencing legislation. A few years ago, the Alabama Legislature had to make significant reforms due to the failures of the prior Parole Board, whose actions led to the release of a parolee who then murdered three people in Marshall County. However, now that the Board is professionally run, these progressive groups are on the attack, howling the injustice that inmates actually serve the sentences they were given. State leaders need to heed their most important responsibility and always put public safety first. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X (formerly Twitter) @Paul_DeMarco.
Paul DeMarco: Alabama lawmakers must ensure accountability for all transportation monies
It has now been four years since Alabama state representatives and senators raised the gasoline tax 10 cents per gallon. The tax will now go up another penny this year starting on October 1st. Tax dollars from this legislation resulted in more than $344 million for the 2022 fiscal year, which was almost $24 million than the year before. With all the tax money pouring into government coffers, it is creating disputes on how to spend it on roads in the state. From the Tennessee line to the Gulf of Mexico, there are plenty of needs that must be met for those who travel on Alabama’s thoroughfares. Construction being funded by the tax is happening across the state, but the two projects that are getting the most publicity are widening I-65 and plans for a four-lane highway from Mobile to Tuscaloosa. Money has been committed to both plans to get dirt turning and asphalt laid as soon as possible. There is clearly not enough money to do both, and some legislators are questioning the funding estimates for the West Alabama corridor by the Alabama Department of Transportation. Some contracts have been delayed by Alabama lawmakers, and a request made of an accounting of how much construction money will be spent. Legitimate issues should be addressed by the Transportation Department about future statewide priorities for highway projects and where will the money come to fund what is designated as essential for the state’s infrastructure needs. When the gasoline tax bill was being debated, there was a lot of discussion about the need to replace aging bridges and deficient roadways. There were also arguments made that congestion and public safety were important reasons that made it essential to pass this legislation. With Alabama citizens paying for higher gasoline taxes, it is imperative state leaders ensure taxpayers have confidence in the transparency of the way our roads are financed, now and in the future. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X (formerly known as Twitter) @Paul_DeMarco.
