Editor’s Note: This is an opinion column.
By Paul DeMarco
Members of the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate serve for four-year terms. However, Alabama lawmakers have no term limits, so some stay for a few years while others serve for decades.
Paul DeMarco
What is for certain is the past four years have been viewed as the most liberal group of legislators in recent state history. There is no question that some bills have become law that the majority of state citizens wanted to see. However, Alabama leaders should look to Florida and other states for true conservative governance.
Despite the fact Republicans hold the supermajority in both Alabama Legislative chambers, Democrats have successfully blocked conservative bills and passed legislation they wanted to see passed.
It is clear that while Republicans are in charge, conservatives are not in control of the flow of legislation in Montgomery.
However, there are a number of retirements in the Alabama House and Senate, and a lot of the members leaving have voted along with Democrats as much as their conservative colleagues. Actually, conservative legislators ran into roadblocks on multiple occasions when trying to stop bills they opposed. Thus, in the Republican Party Primary set for May 24th, the battle between candidates could be determined by who is the most conservative if they serve in the state Capitol. Usually, in Alabama, a candidate’s position on conservative issues is the most important factor in getting elected in a contest within the GOP.
After the 2022 elections, we will see if Alabama lawmakers and the newly elected officials more truly reflect the true values of state citizens.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives.
