Democrats announce legislative agenda

Democrats in the Alabama Legislature rolled out their agenda on Wednesday, saying their platform is a handshake with working people and not with big corporations.
They were taking a dig at Republicans, who are pushing through bills from their Handshake with Alabama, a list of campaign promises from the 2010 election.
This is the first regular session in which Democrats will be trying to pass their agenda as a minority. About two dozen Democrats were in the House chamber on Wednesday to share their goals.
Their agenda includes online filing of campaign finance forms and creating a searchable database; trying to curb the purchase of medication used in making methamphetamines; fighting distracted driving; creating tax incentives for existing and potential industries using millions of dollars from revenue from offshore oil and gas; and eliminating tax loop holes for out-of-state corporations that Democrats believe are costing the state millions in revenue.
Some of their goals are ones they had difficulty passing while they were in the majority including removing the state portion of the sales tax off of groceries, and rewriting the state's 1901 constitution.
Senate Minority Leader Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, and House Minority Leader Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, acknowledged that Democrats have been run over in the Alabama Senate. During the special session and so far in this session, Senate Republicans have quickly shut down any effort by Democrats to debate issues and moved to quickly vote on issues.
Ford said they hope, like they did with one bill during the December special session, that they will be able in the House to peel away some Republicans to vote with them on some issues.
State Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery, said he is continuing his fight to remove the 4 percent state sales tax on groceries. He said he is open to talking to anyone with suggestions of how to replace that revenue.
Republicans oppose replacing the revenue by stopping Alabamians above a certain income level from deducting the federal income tax they pay from their state income tax.
Bedford is pushing a resolution that would allow people to vote in the June 2012 party primaries on whether they want the constitution rewritten by convention, which would be conducted later by a man and woman elected from each House district.
State Rep. Richard Lindsey, D-Centre, plans to introduce bills that he believes would close the loopholes for out-of-state corporations that compete with corporations headquartered here. Also, with the state needing revenue for education, Lindsey said the state is losing out on $100 million in revenue because of the loopholes.
Bedford and Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Prichard, said Sudafed is a main ingredient in methamphetamines and said people are crossing the border from Mississippi to purchase it so they want to make Sudafed a Class III drug, which would only allow it to be purchased by prescription.
Rep. Joe Hubbard, D-Montgomery, has introduced a bill that he believes would create greater transparency through online filing of campaign finance forms.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

State Rep. Joe Hubbard: Young Face of the Demcoratic Party

Watch a video of out-going Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Joe Turnham and newly elected state Rep. Joe Hubbard of Montgomery talking about the future of the party.

Hubbard was one the few Democrats in the country to unseat an incumbent Republican during the 2010 election cycle.

House Democrats elect leaders

Democrats in the Alabama House of Representatives selected state Rep. Craig Ford of Gadsden as their minority leader on Tuesday.
They also selected Rep. Thomas Jackson of Thomasville as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.
Ford said they would share power.
Other officers elected during a Tuesday meeting at the Alabama Education Association include: Barbara Boyd of Anniston as vice chair of the caucus; Joe Hubbard of Montgomery as minority whip; Rod Scott of Fairfield and Chris England of Tuscaloosa as caucus whips; Richard Lindsey of Centre as secretary/treasurer; and A.J. McCampbell of Demopolis as policy member.
Each officer was elected to a two-year term, according to the new charter or rules drafted by the Democratic caucus on Tuesday.
Ford said all 39 Democrats in the House would be responsible for holding Republicans accountable. Republicans hold 66 seats in the 105-member House.
The leaders said the priorities for Democrats remain the same, removing the sales tax from groceries and protecting Medicaid and children's health insurance.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Alabama Dems talk about future

The surviving Democratic members of the Alabama House of Representatives met in downtown Montgomery on Friday afternoon to regroup and look forward after a devastating loss on Nov. 2 that put them in the minority for the first time in more than a century.
They did not elect a minority leader or appoint people to other leadership positions.
They decided they needed to rewrite their charter and would meet on Nov. 30 to adopt a new charter and to vote on leadership.
The meeting, like that of the Republican House and Senate caucuses, was closed to the media. Rep. Marcel Black, a Tuscumbia Democrat who had expressed interest in being speaker of the House if the Democrats won, said the meeting was cleansing and candid.
Black said they agreed they need to be unified.
The former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said they have never had to operate as the minority party so their charter needs to be revamped. The current charter, he said, states that the speaker of the House can appoint to the caucus’ policy committee, which they obviously do not want since the next speaker is expected to be Republican state Rep. Mike Hubbard of Auburn, who is also chairman of the Alabama Republican Party.
Black said the charter was written for a caucus in the majority. Having to revamp their charter, not having an ally in the speaker’s chair, and not having Democrats as chairmen of committees are just some of the major adjustments that Democrats will have to make after losing the majority.
"It's a challenge, but we're resilient," said Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.
Jackson said this is an opportunity to find out who the leaders are.
"In this situation, all hope is not lost," he said.
Black admitted that Hubbard was effective as the vocal opposition to the Democratic majority and that he kept Republicans unified when they were in the minority.
"I certainly hope we would be critical and informative when we need to be," Black said.
He said he believes that role is easier when a party is in the minority.
"It's a brave new world," said freshman Rep. Joe Hubbard of Montgomery, who was one of only about a dozen Democrats nationwide to unseat a Republican legislator.
Joe Hubbard said there is now a great opportunity for bridge building and reaching across the aisle. He hopes legislators unify on issues that are important to Alabama residents.
Former House Majority Leader Ken Guin, D-Carbon Hill, presided over the first part of the meeting, which he said was required by the charter. Guin is one of several House Democrats who lost on Nov. 2.
Jackson, as vice chairman of the caucus, presided over the remainder of the meeting since Guin lost his reelection bid.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Hubbard releases ad in response to poll

Montgomery lawyer Joe Hubbard, the Democratic candidate for House District 73, appears to be fighting back against what he believes is a push poll funded by the Alabama Republican Party. He is seeking to unseat state Rep. David Grimes, R-Montgomery.
A spokesman for the GOP has said it stands behind the poll and said the party does not conduct push polls.
Hubbard does not address issues in the ad, but pokes fun at Republicans trying to connect him to liberals.



-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Grimes to Seek 3rd Term

Republican voters in House District 73 will see a familiar face on their primary ballots when they go to the polls in June.

State Rep. David Grimes, R-Montgomery, announced Tuesday that he will seek a third term representing the district that stretches from Cloverdale to Sturbridge and south of the bypass.

"I have enjoyed being accessible to my constituents and dealing with the legislation that deals with our lives daily," he said. "Many issues come before the Alabama Legislature that deal with everyday life. I have the life experiences that make me the best candidate for this office."

Grimes said he continues to be an advocate for fewer taxes, less government, better education, ethics reform and job creation.

"During the last seven years, Alabama has enjoyed more economic progress than in its history, more money in education than ever before and the best climate for ethics reform than in any other time in history," he said. "We need to continue the conservative movement that seems to be underfoot in our nation and in our state."

Grimes, who has lived in Montgomery since 1977, serves on the House Banking and Insurance, Commerce and Internal Affairs committees. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2002.

Grimes said he has fought to pass several key pieces of legislation during his tenure including bills that would protect children, provide better retirement benefits for Montgomery employees and establish tougher penalties for domestic violence.

"It has been an honor to serve the residents of District 73 these last seven years," he said. "But there is a lot of work still to be done.

"I believe that my record of fighting against higher taxes, fighting for less government interference in our lives and protecting our conservative Christian beliefs are in tune with what is needed in our elected officials."

In the June Republican primary, Grimes will face political newcomer Jeremy Walker, who recently picked up the endorsement of the Alabama Association of Realtors political action committee. The winner of that contest will face Democratic candidate Joe Hubbard in November.

-- posted by Markeshia Ricks