Armistead selects new executive director for state GOP

Timothy James "TJ" Maloney will become executive director of the Alabama Republican Party on Monday, the party announced Thursday.
New Party Chairman Bill Armistead, a former state senator, said he made his choice after a thorough search for the person with the necessary experience and skills to direct the daily operations of the party.
“We have a strong team shaping up, and TJ has the experience and knowledge to take the helm,” Armistead said. “His prior experience in Alabama, having run a congressional campaign in 2008, is a real plus for us."
Maloney worked in 2008 as campaign manager for Wayne Parker in his unsuccessful bid to defeat Parker Griffith for the 5th Congressional District seat.
Maloney, who is relocating from Virginia for the job, has worked extensively in politics the corporate world.
"He has a reputation of being a solid team player and a hard-working leader, unconcerned about who receives credit,” Armistead said.
Maloney said he enjoyed his previous campaign work in Alabama and “coming back to Alabama is like coming home for me."
“I enjoyed living here when working on a previous campaign, and I'm glad to be back,” he said. “There are exciting things happening in Alabama and there is much to accomplish.”
John Ross worked as the executive director when Mike Hubbard was chairman of the party. Hubbard, who is now speaker of the House and presided over historic Republican wins in November, did not run for another term.
Armistead defeated state Rep. Jay Love of Montgomery in the contest to succeed Hubbard.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Budget officials expect cuts, layoffs

Alabama's budgets that fund education, Medicaid, prisons, public safety, and other key functions face cuts this year, but state lawmakers also will have to figure out a way to absorb significant shortfalls in fiscal 2012.
And state finance officials say that means that everything including employees and programs has to be on the table when lawmakers look for areas to cut.
Joyce Bigbee, director of the Legislative Fiscal Office, told state lawmakers Tuesday that the state's Education Trust Fund is projected to be $126 million short in fiscal 2011, and as great as a $688 million short in fiscal 2012, which starts Oct. 1.
And the news actually is worse for the General Fund.
The General Fund, which pays for the state's non-education expenditures including Medicaid and prisons, is expected to be short nearly $132 million this fiscal year and is facing a $554.2 million shortfall in fiscal 2012.
Bigbee said Medicaid and Corrections make up the largest expenditures of the state General Fund, representing 42 percent of the budget. When the cost of the state's judicial system is added in, it amounts to about 50 percent of that budget's expenses.
Bigbee told lawmakers the General Fund's revenues would need to grow by 29 percent to absorb the shortfall for 2012.
And apparently Bigbee's presentation was the optimistic version of what's to come.
David Perry, new director of the state Finance Department, projected even bigger cuts and said that layoffs for state employees paid out of the General Fund have to be on the table.
"I haven't found any options that would avoid layoffs entirely," Perry said. "At this point we don't see any way around some layoffs."
Perry pointed out that in 2012 Medicaid would need $700 million to avoid cutting services.
"Level-funding Medicaid alone would eat up nearly half of the 2012 budget," he said.
Perry said that the state's General Fund would lose about $450 million in one-time stimulus money in fiscal 2012.
Perry said his office is projecting a shortfall of at least $150 million in the General Fund and $200 million short in the Education Trust Fund for fiscal 2011. But he also said that the governor is waiting on February receipts for a better look at revenue trends before a decision is made about whether to declare across the board cuts, also know as proration, to balance the budget. He said the decision on proration would likely come in early March.
Perry said the General Fund budget and the education budget have each been cut about 20 percent in the last two years as the recession has ravaged revenue coming into the state.
He said difficult decisions must be made. With the state's fiscal condition, Perry said "everything must be on the table at this point."
Strategically, state officials should look at whether they should continue certain programs because there are some programs that the state will not be able to sustain, he said.
Perry said the General Fund is in much worse shape than the education budget, which is more likely to avoid layoffs.
Perry said they are not just looking at cuts, although that is the primary focus. He said, as Gov. Robert Bentley talked about during the campaign, they also want to try to collect taxes that are on the books that people are currently not paying, such as the use tax on web purchases.
Perry said he has been meeting with agency heads in his office about the effects of cuts on those agencies and to determine which agencies can absorb those cuts without "significant pain." After those meetings, Perry said the administration will share its recommendations with lawmakers.
"In many cases, these consequences will be severe," Perry said.
State Rep. John Knight of Montgomery, the former chairman of the House General Fund budget committee, said lawmakers knew last year that crafting a budget for 2012 would be a challenge, so he wasn't surprised by the size of the shortfalls.
He said the state is going to have to prioritize.
"There are many programs that we would love to continue, but we've got some real tough decisions to make," he said.
Knight, a Democrat, said he hoped that lawmakers would consider state employees and government services carefully as they consider where to cut.
Republican State Rep. Jay Love of Montgomery, who is the new chairman of the House education budget committee, also said that the cuts coming to education weren't unexpected. He said one of his priorities is to protect the education programs that have proven successful.
"We're going to have to effectively budget the dollars that we do have," Love said.
The Bentley administration must submit its proposed budgets for the 2012 fiscal year to lawmakers by the second day of the regular legislative session, which is March 2.

-- Markeshia Ricks and Sebastian Kitchen

House members take key posts

State Reps. Jay Love, Jim Barton and Blaine Galliher were appointed to be chairmen of the three key committees in the Alabama House of Representatives on Wednesday.

House members found out on Wednesday which committees they would serve on.

Galliher, R-Gadsden, will be chairman of the Rules Committee, which decides which bills comes to the House floor for debate.

Love, R-Montgomery, will be chairman of the education budget committee.

Barton, R-Mobile, will be chairman of the general fund budget committee that sets funding levels for Medicaid, prisons, public safety and most other non-education entities.

Love and Barton are both small business owners. They acknowledged that the coming budget years will be difficult. Barton called the situation "dire" and said he was nervous, cautious and anxious about his post, which he said Speaker Mike Hubbard asked him to serve in.

"I have a steep learning curve," Barton said.

He acknowledged there will be drastic cuts, but said he will try to stay away from public safety. Barton also asked that his predecessor, Rep. John Knight of Montgomery, serve on the committee with him along with House Majority Leader Victor Gaston of Mobile, who was the ranking minority member when Democrats controlled the Legislature.

Love said that sometimes the best reforms emerge in tough times. He said he is excited and this is his first opportunity to chair a committee.

Love said there could be a $500 million to $600 million hole in the budget. He said he would also wait to see the priorities and policies of Gov.-elect Robert Bentley.

Galliher vowed to be courteous and fair to members and their legislation as chairman of the Rules Committee.

"I think a member has a right to have his day in court," he said.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Senators appoint members to key posts

The Alabama public, political observers and Alabama state senators found out Tuesday who will chair key committees in that body.
Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, who is considered one of the most conservative members of the Senate, was selected as chairman of the powerful Rules Committee that determines which bills come to the Senate floor for debate. He succeeds powerful Sen. Lowell Barron, a Democrat who lost in the November election.
Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, will be chairman of the Senate general fund budget committee which sets funding levels for Medicaid, prisons, public safety and most other non-education entities in the state. Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, the previous chairman of the committee, will serve as a minority member.
Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, will preside over the education budget in the Senate. The former chairman, Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, will continue to serve on the committee.
The House did not announce committee assignments on Tuesday, although Rep. Jay Love of Montgomery and Rep. Jim Barton of Mobile are expected to serve as the chairmen of the House education and general fund budget committees, respectively.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Love, Armistead to run for GOP chair

State Rep. Jay Love of Montgomery and former state Sen. Bill Armistead of Columbiana said Friday they are running to be the next chairman of the Alabama Republican Party.
Current Chairman Mike Hubbard is expected to be the next speaker of the House and has said he will not run for another term as chairman.
The state executive committee will meet in Montgomery on Feb. 19 to vote on who will be the chairman for the next two years.
Love, a restaurant owner, and Armistead both told the Montgomery Advertiser on Friday that the party was very successful this election and that they wanted to ensure that work continued to not only keep a majority in the Legislature, but to elect more Republicans in courthouses throughout the state. They do not want the party to become too comfortable after its sweeping wins this month.
Armistead said there are two remaining statewide offices held by Democrats, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb and Public Service Commission President Lucy Baxley.
"One of my goals would be making sure we win chief justice and president of the Public Service Commission," he said. " ... I just want to finish the job that has been started."
Baxley beat Armistead for lieutenant governor eight years ago.
Love and Armistead applauded the work of Hubbard and Sen. Del Marsh, who worked alongside the chairman on Campaign 2010, a plan to take control of the Legislature from Democrats for the first time in more than 130 years.
"I just want to continue (Hubbard's) work on the election side of things and try to do everything I can to elect as many Republicans as possible, not just the statewide offices, but the offices at the county courthouse level," Love said. "I think that is where we have a real opportunity in the future."
Armistead, one of several vice chairmen of the state party, said the party has a good future, but "I would not take anything for granted as party chairman." He said some Democrats thought this year was a fluke, but he would work through the next four years to be sure they understand it wasn't a fluke.
Love said he had been thinking about running for about a week and had several people approach him asking him to consider entering the race. He said he talked about it with his wife and they prayed and they decided Friday.
Love wants to help elect more Republican sheriffs, probate judges, local courthouse officials, and "different offices where really the Democrats have dominated over the years."
"Hopefully now we will have an opportunity where there were not any Republican elected officials to elect Republicans," he said.
Armistead and Love both said they want to maintain the conservative principles of the party.
"We saw the national Democrats lose their way once they got control of Congress," Love said. "I just want to make sure that doesn't happen (to Republicans) in Alabama."
Love said the state party chairman helps select the next national chairman.
"I have been very disappointed in Michael Steele's leadership in that position," he said. "I would do everything to ensure we get new leadership in that position."
Armistead, who has been involved in Republican politics since Barry Goldwater in 1964, said he has experience working in the legislative and executive branches, serving as chief economic adviser to Gov. Guy Hunt from 1986 until 1993. He said he knows how government functions and believes he can work with top Republican officials to lead the party.
Armistead works with Fidelity National Information Services, which provides technology to banks throughout the world.
Paul Reynolds, national committeeman for Alabama on the Republican National Committee, said he intended to run for state party chairman and even announced at a Tuesday meeting that he was entering the race, but said he has decided not to because of his business and because of his relationship with Armistead and Love.
Reynolds said he has worked with Armistead in politics for years and has an almost family-like relationship with Love. He said Love helped his wife when she ran against state Sen. Wendell Mitchell in 2006 and that they worked hard to help Love during his 2008 run for Congress. Love narrowly lost to then-Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright.
Reynolds was chairman for the 2nd Congressional District at the time.
"Jay Love is a very well-liked guy for the people who know him," he said.
Reynolds, who lived in Greenville before moving to Birmingham, said the position is essentially a full-time job.
He said following up on the work of Hubbard and Marsh would be a "difficult task for somebody to trump."
"It is all going to be an uphill fight to supersede what they have done," Reynolds said.
While other people have discussed entering the competition for chairman, Reynolds said he expects Love or Armistead to win.
"I don't see anybody else being bold enough to step up to the plate against them," Reynolds said. "Whichever one it is, I will be right there pushing as much as I can with them."
As national committeeman, he said he did not need to announce his support for a candidate and would need to work with the eventual winner. Alabama has three members of the Republican National Committee: its committeeman, its committeewoman and the state chair.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Republicans select Hubbard, Marsh as leaders

The two men who were the faces of the Republican effort to take over the Alabama House and Senate from Democrats for the first time in more than 130 years were rewarded with top leadership posts by their new majority on Thursday.
House Republicans selected Alabama Republican Party Chairman Mike Hubbard, who is also a state representative from Auburn, as their choice to be the next speaker of the House.
Senate Republicans voted for Sen. Del Marsh of Anniston to be the president pro tem when they organize. The pro tem is the most powerful member of the chamber who helps with assigning bills and managing the body.
With Republicans holding 22 of the 35 seats in the Senate, Marsh is expected to be approved by the full Senate when the members organize either in January or in a special session called by the governor before that.
Sen. Jabo Waggoner of Vestavia Hills was selected as majority leader.
Hubbard is considered the architect of Campaign 2010, the Republican plan to raise money and take control of the Legislature from Democrats for the first time in more than 130 years. Republicans hold 62 seats in the 105-member House.
Marsh helped raise money for the Republican effort to take control of the Legislature.
The Republicans unanimously voted for Hubbard even though there had been talk of another candidate entering the race. Rep. Paul DeMarco of Homewood and some other members had privately expressed interest in becoming speaker and talked to other members trying to win over their support.
But on Thursday at their meeting, no one offered up another candidate.
Members had also discussed voting for speaker and then for speaker pro tem, but then decided only to vote for speaker on Thursday, giving new members an opportunity to know the potential candidates before voting.
State Rep. Jay Love of Montgomery said they recognized with the hard work and organizational skills of Hubbard "that he would be our best choice for speaker."
Waggoner said Marsh would be an effective pro tem. He said his colleague is knowledgeable about issues, is a "good debater," and has proven leadership capabilities.
Marsh, 54, is the president of two companies, Aerospace Coating and Industrial Plating, which employee a total of about 150 people, he said. He is in his fourth term.
Marsh said he would be able to bring people together.
Both Marsh and Hubbard were elected in separate closed-door caucus meetings.
Republican governor-elect Robert Bentley said he met at his Tuscaloosa home on Wednesday with the people who expressed interest in being speaker, Hubbard and DeMarco.
He said he did not impose his will on legislators as they elected their leadership, but was trying to be a "peacemaker" and trying to "smooth things out" in the House delegation, where he felt there was contention. Bentley said he believed the situation had been resolved with a power sharing agreement.
"I really support whoever the caucus votes for," Bentley said after addressing the Senate caucus during the meeting at the Alabama Forestry Association. "It is their right to decide their leadership."
Bentley said he thought Hubbard "had done a good job" leading the party up to the election.
Hubbard, 48 and president of the Auburn Network Inc., is in his fourth term as a legislator. He has served as minority leader in the Alabama House for six years and as chairman of the state party for four years.
Hubbard said his role as chairman was to get as many Republicans elected as possible and to be the "tough guy," but he said speaker "won't be a partisan position" and is more about governing.
"I am looking forward to taking off that partisan hat," he said.
The new leaders said Thursday that their priorities would be ethics, and efforts such as tax incentives to help small businesses.
Waggoner said they did not decide on committee posts at the Thursday meeting and he said those would be decided between now and December.
Waggoner and other senators said there was no conflict between Marsh and Sen. Scott Beason of Gardendale, who challenged him for the pro tem position.
"They are on the same page," Waggoner said. "We are all on the same team."
Marsh said Beason would be in a leadership position "where he chooses to work."
After the original vote, the Republican senators voted again for the victor to ensure there was unanimous support for the pro tem selection.
Sen. Bryan Taylor of Prattville said he was glad to see men "approach such an important issue with mutual respect."
Sen. Dick Brewbaker of Pike Road said he was happy the caucus is "of one mind" and said it is a great step forward "for everybody to agree on the basic agenda."
Beason said he was not successful, but was glad they came back and voted unanimously for Marsh. He said he has learned that while sometimes someone might lose individually, "you have to remember it's about the cause."
Marsh said they all pledged when they ran for office that they would support the nominee of the caucus.
"Once we agree as a caucus, we're unanimous," he said.
When he addressed his colleagues on Thursday morning before they met behind closed doors, Waggoner said "I have been waiting for this (takeover) for 20 years."
"This is a dream come true for a lot of us," said Waggoner, who was previously the minority leader. Waggoner has been a member of the Legislature since 1966.
Pat Harris, assistant secretary of the Senate, spoke to the group along with Bentley and incoming lieutenant governor Kay Ivey. Waggoner and Marsh said they needed help from Harris and others because they have never been in the majority and never been through this transition.
Bentley told the members he knew the Senate had been dysfunctional, but he was hopeful.
He also said he was hopeful that the Republicans would not operate like Democrats and would not be vindictive now that they are in the majority. Bentley also said they should not serve lobbyists and the special interests.
Bentley, a two-term state legislator from Tuscaloosa, said he wants to stay in close communication with legislators and is also reaching out to Democrats. He named outgoing Democratic House Speaker Seth Hammett to his transition team.
Most of the Senate Republicans participated in a ceremonial swearing in in the historic House chamber in the Capitol on Thursday. Waggoner told people in attendance they were witnessing history.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Former congressman endorses Roby

Former U.S. Rep. Terry Everett, who served eight terms in the U.S. House district that includes parts of Montgomery and the Wiregrass, is endorsing fellow Republican Martha Roby in the November election for his former seat.
Roby, a Montgomery city councilwoman, faces freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Bright, the former mayor of Montgomery.
"I thank Congressman Everett for his support and his guidance," Roby said. "He is a public servant in the best sense of the word and served this district well. I am grateful to have him stand with me in this campaign, and I look forward to working with him in the coming months."
Everett's endorsement is not a surprise. He endorsed Bright's 2008 opponent, state Rep. Jay Love of Montgomery, and recorded commercials for Love that were critical of Bright and spoke critically of the then-mayor during the campaign.
Bright was able to narrowly defeat Love in 2008 to become the first Democrat to represent the district since the 1960s.
"We need to restore conservative leadership in Washington," Everett said. "Nancy Pelosi doesn't represent the values of southeast Alabama. We need to send someone who will fight for our conservative values every day. Martha Roby will do that."
Bright voted for Pelosi as speaker of the House, but has voted with Republicans on almost all other major issues.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Montgomery Police officer to challenge Love in District 74 race

Voters in House District 74 will have two men named Jay to choose from when they go to the ballot box in November.

Montgomery Police Lt. Jay King is taking on two-term Republican State Rep. Jay Love of Montgomery, to represent the district that covers part of east Montgomery. Love faced no opposition in the June 1 Republican primary, and there is no Democratic opponent.

King, a one-time candidate for mayor, announced this week that he has qualified to run as an independent candidate. King exceeded the 345 signatures he needed from voters in House District 74. In fact his petition had 402 signatures.

He also met all of the other requirements to gain independent access to the ballot, according to officials with the Secretary of State’s office and the Alabama Ethics Commission. Barring any kind of court challenge to his candidacy, King’s name will appear on the general election ballot in November.

"I’m running as an independent because if I am elected to office I will be obligated to the people who elected me, not any political party or special interest," he said.

-- posted by Markeshia Ricks

Love to run for another House term

State Rep. Jay Love believes the chances of Republicans taking control of the Alabama House of Representatives for the first time in more than a century is better than 50-50 and he wants to be in the chamber providing leadership if that occurs.
Love, a Montgomery businessman who is currently the second ranking Republican in the House, announced Monday that he will run for a third term in the Legislature.
"I hope to provide valuable input in determining the course of the state," he said. " ... The national sentiment and the state sentiment will work to elect more Republicans, which will be a good thing for this state."
No other candidate has announced he is running for the District 74 House seat, which Love has represented since 2002.
Love advocated and sponsored legislation for years that would allow small businesses to deduct what they pay for employee health insurance coverage from their state income taxes. A Democratic sponsor picked up the legislation, which lawmakers passed in a 2008 special session. Love’s legislation was in a position to pass during the regular session, but died on the last night.
Love, working with the office of Gov. Bob Riley and Democratic Rep. John Knight, helped craft legislation that increased the threshold at which a two-parent family of four begins paying state income taxes from $4,600 to $12,500.
Love's proposal was incorporated into Knight's bill.
Those situations, Love said, demonstrate his willingness to work with Democrats to ensure legislation is passed.
Moving forward, he said his focus will be on creating jobs.
"That is by far the No. 1 issue facing this state," Love said.
He supports legislation proposed by Riley that would offer tax credit for hiring unemployed workers.
The legislator is also a successful businessman, buying his first Subway sandwich shop in 1992 and eventually building his business into 16 restaurants in the Montgomery area. He sold the shops in 2006 and now runs a real estate investment company that specializes in commercial real estate.
Love ran for the District 2 congressional seat in 2008. He beat out five other Republicans, including two other state legislators, to win the primary, and lost the general election by less than 1,800 votes in a down year for Republicans.
Love said that after he lost the District 2 race, he received encouragement from his constituents "to continue in my service in the Legislature." When campaigning for District 2, he said he finished very well among voters in his district in the 2008 primary, runoff and the general election.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Smith has primary competition for Senate seat

Dothan businessman George Flowers plans to run against fellow Republican Harri Anne Smith for her state Senate seat.
Beginning in December, he raised more than $100,000 to run for the southeast Alabama Senate seat.
"Our success in fundraising convinced me we would have the resources needed to run a competitive and ultimately successful race," Flowers said. "It is obvious there is a hunger throughout the district for new leadership in Montgomery, and the money we raised in just one month is evidence of that fact."
Smith angered some in her party when she endorsed the Democratic candidate, Bobby Bright, in the race for congressional District 2. She lost in a runoff in the Republican primary to state Rep. Jay Love.
Flowers said he recognizes the importance of Country Crossing to the Wiregrass and said he would support a statewide referendum if the legislation is acceptable and the revenues are taxed at a national standard.
He criticized the incumbent for several of her votes including one on a teacher code of ethics.
Former U.S. Rep. Terry Everett was among the first to contribute to Flowers' campaign.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen