“Workplace violence” was a real threat to nurses until Sen. Little sponsored a bill making it a felony to assault a nurse or other health care worker in the performance of duties. An assailant who intends “to cause physical injury” can now spend up to 10 years in prison.
In 2006, Sen. Little voted to give state employees a much-needed cost-of-living increase. In 2003, at the height of the state’s budget crisis, he voted that merit system employees could not be laid off unless contract employees were laid off first.
A steady advocate for first responders, Sen. Little has been sensitive to their needs. He voted “yes” to pass the Public Safety Officer Appreciation Act, which made certain death benefits exempt from state income tax when peace officers and firefighters are killed in the line of duty. He also voted to increase the amount of those death benefits.
Sen. Little voted to give law enforcement officers overtime compensation.
Sen. Little has recently voted to protect the education budget and teachers’ jobs, lower teacher/pupil ratios, give teachers pay raises, make schools fiscally accountable, increase school days and provide additional money for classroom supplies.
During consideration of the last two General Fund budgets, Sen. Little voted to increase appropriations for the Department of Public Safety so that additional state troopers could be hired and put on the road for the safety and protection of all Alabamians.