Legislative update from Rep. Paul Lee

Below is a column sent to local media by Rep. Paul Lee, R-Dothan, outlining the rookie representative's first few weeks in the Alabama Legislature.

"Since taking office to the Alabama House of Representatives in November, I have been proud to join with my fellow members of the first Republican legislative majority in 136 years as we work to implement much needed reforms to our state government.

Within a few weeks of my election, I participated in a special session on ethics convened by then-Governor Bob Riley and began the process of changing the culture under the Capitol dome.  By passing laws to weaken the influence of lobbyists and bring unprecedented transparency to our campaign finance system, my colleagues and I sent a strong message that our top priority is serving the people’s interests, not the entrenched special interests that have called the shots for far too long.

Now we turn our attention to the tough job of fundamentally changing the way Montgomery operates, and we have begun to implement our Republican Handshake with Alabama, an omnibus platform of specific, issue-oriented bills that GOP candidates across the state supported as a group in the 2010 election cycle. 

The first full day of the 2010 session saw seven of our Handshake bills pass committee, and just last week, we passed the first one into law.  The Responsible Budgeting and Spending Act, sponsored by Rep. Greg Canfield (R – Vestavia), requires state revenue estimates in the Education Trust Fund to be based upon a rolling 15-year average rather than income projections that are about as reliable as throwing darts at a dartboard. 

Passage of this legislation, which Gov. Bentley quickly signed into law, will help rein in spending, lessen the probability of proration and allow the budget to more easily absorb changes in a cyclical economy.

Other Handshake measures that I expect to see passing soon include:

A bill sponsored by Rep. Kurt Wallace (R – Maplesville) that will ensure Alabama remains a right-to-work state and that employment costs remain low by protecting the right to a secret ballot in union elections.  With passage of this bill, no worker will be intimidated or harassed by voting his or her heart and conscience in the workplace. 

A capital creation bill being sponsored by Rep. April Weaver (R – Brierfield) expands the small business health insurance tax credit from 150% to 200% of the amount that both employers and employees pay for coverage premiums.  This bill will provide business owners with more capital to create jobs and ensure access to quality, private health coverage for employer and employee alike.

A constitutional amendment sponsored by Rep. Blaine Galliher (R – Gadsden) which would “prohibit any person, employer or health care provider from being compelled to participate in any health care system.”  This amendment is similar to measures introduced or passed in at least 30 other state legislatures across the country, and, if passed by the Legislature and ratified by voters, could be used in court cases opposing implementation of Obamacare.

A bill by Rep. Mike Jones (R – Andalusia) will provide the Alabama Ethics Commission with a statutorily defined level of appropriation that can be cut only by a two-thirds vote of both houses.  That way, no legislator can retaliate against the agency and its important watchdog work by cutting its annual budget.

Ethics legislation being sponsored by Rep. Mike Ball (R – Madison) requiring public officials and their spouses to disclose any contracts they hold with government entities.  This bill will help avoid conflicts of interest, or the appearance of them, by public officials.

A comprehensive, Arizona-style immigration bill being offer by Majority Leader Micky Hammon (R – Decatur) that, among other things, allows local law enforcement the authority to verify the citizenship status of those they detain, requires business owners to confirm new hires with the E-verify system and creates new penalties for illegal immigrants who attempt to vote or register to vote.

In addition, two bills not included in the Handshake have been added to the Caucus’ official priority list.

State Rep. Barry Mask (R – Wetumpka), along with Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh (R – Anniston), has introduced a measure that repeals that state’s Deferred Retirement Option Plan but grandfathers those already enrolled.  Since its passage a decade ago, many have considered DROP, which allows some public employees to draw and bank pension benefits in a high-yield, interest-bearing account while continuing to work, to be a costly, unaffordable and controversial program in desperate need of repeal.

The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Office puts the price tag on DROP at around $58 million, which can be better spent in classrooms here in the Wiregrass and across the state.  Though the bill has passed both houses, a minor change requires it to return to the Senate for final approval, and I expect that will be among the first orders of business when we return from this week’s traditional Spring Break recess.

Our agenda also includes a photo voter ID bill being sponsored by Rep. Kerry Rich (R – Albertville).  Currently, citizens may show non-photo bearing items ranging from utility bills to bank statements to paychecks in order to gain access to the voting booth. 

Recognizing that allowing voters to present almost 30 different items at the polling place continues to invite fraud, Rich’s bill would require citizens to present a valid, government-issued photo ID before being allowed to vote in elections.

From top to bottom, this is probably the most well-rounded, comprehensive and ambitious agenda offered by any caucus in Alabama’s history.  If passed, we can finally begin to create jobs, fight corruption, discourage illegal immigration and start to get our fiscal house in order."