June - Legislative Conclusion of the 2009 Regular Session
July 2, 2009
At the conclusion of my last article I was unable to give mention to a couple of pieces of legislation I either sponsored or jointly sponsored that during the 2009 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature. I felt the following pieces of legislation would be of particular interest to my Senate District.
Senate Bill 250 is a bill that I introduced pertaining to ethics reform that would further define a lobbyist to include persons seeking to obtain a contract with state government on behalf of a third party. Presently, lobbyists are primarily identified as only those who choose to lobby the legislature. It is important that this subject be addressed at all levels and branches of government. This legislation received a great deal of support from many of my colleagues and I will again introduce it when we convene during the next Regular Session in January, 2010.
Senate Bill 379, enacted into law during this most recent session is a bill I introduced that expands the definition of the Police Officer’s and Firefighter’s Survivors Educational Assistance to include volunteer firefighters. This has been an established program within our state for many years, offering free college tuition for the dependents and spouses of full-time law enforcement officers and full-time firefighters killed or totally disabled in the line of duty. The new law expanded the definition to include volunteer firefighters, some of the most unsung heroes in our back yards. It is of my opinion that these brave men and women are equally as deserving as their career counterparts; they volunteer their time, energy, resources and efforts to follow a calling that leads them into harm’s way every time help is needed. This bill will provide the comfort and assurance deserved to continue following their passion, knowing that their dependents will have one less worry if they sacrifice themselves in the course of their duty.
I jointly sponsored House Bill 216 which was sponsored by Representative Betty Carol Graham of House District 81 (Tallapoosa and Lee County), better known as the Student Harassment Prevention Act. This bill passed both the House and the Senate and was enacted into law on the 14th day of May, 2009. Again, I am extremely proud of this bill, as it provides for the adoption of policies by public school systems pertaining to the prevention of harassment of one student against another student. Furthermore, it requires the State Department of Education to develop a model policy for local school boards pertaining to student harassment prevention. This Act applies only to student against student harassment, intimidation, violence, and threats of violence in the public schools of Alabama, grades pre-kindergarten through 12.
In a few days we will all be celebrating our nation’s birthday. As Americans we have the responsibility to get involved, voice our opinions and interact as little or as much as we wish. We have the good fortune of living in a free society that makes its own laws, amends those that are outdated and elect those to serve our best interests. If it’s broken, then we have the right to fix it. If we disagree, we have the right to use our voices and work for change. There is a tremendous opportunity for us to serve our communities and our state by getting involved. As your State Senator, I value your point of view and your ultimate wish for our states best interest. And as we celebrate the 4th of July, take moments to be thankful for our country and let’s all pray for its proper direction.
|