State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) says Governor-elect Tommy Tuberville’s Back to Basics agenda can pass the Alabama Legislature if the new administration builds the plan with House and Senate leadership from the start.
Orr, the longtime Senate budget chairman who won a sixth term last week, laid out his expectations for the next four years during an appearance on “The Rightside” with hosts Amie Beth Shaver and Allison Sinclair in partnership with Yellowhammer News.
“The governor-elect has his roadmap that he put forth to the people, his Back to Basics book,” Orr said. “Lots of good things in there that can be achieved, and we’ll sit down and plot a course. But my takeaway is it’s got to be done in concert together, and not ‘this is how I want it, and you better do as I say.’ If that’s the way we start out of the gate, then unfortunately we’re going to have some problems.”
Tuberville defeated Democrat Doug Jones 51.8% to 47.9%. Republicans kept their supermajorities in both chambers. Orr said a governor-elect with an eye on a second term has every reason to make the Legislature a partner.
“The idea that he’s going to ride in on a white horse and start browbeating 140 members to do his bidding probably won’t go too well,” Orr said. “I would think he needs to work with the House leadership and the Senate leadership, and between the two chambers and the governor’s office, we can come up with a very strong package.”
Tuberville has said he plans to be a very active governor. He described his approach to a room of local officials during the campaign. “You can’t do it by yourself,” Tuberville said.
Orr was asked how the incoming administration will compare with Governor Kay Ivey’s relationship with lawmakers. He said Ivey picked her spots, chiefly economic development incentives and the 2019 gas tax, and won them.
“By and large, Governor Ivey left the legislature alone and supported what the legislature sent across the street to her, in that the vetoes or even executive amendments were few and far between,” Orr said. “In fact, I don’t ever recall a veto override by the legislature during her tenure. So she gave wide deference to the legislation that was passed and sent to her, but when she wanted something and wanted to engage, and that was a rarity, she was successful in doing so.”
As for Tuberville, Orr said, “That’s to be determined.”
The 2027 quadrennium opens with more turnover than Montgomery has seen in years, Orr said.
“It’ll take a while in Montgomery because you’ll have a lot of new players, a new governor, new lieutenant governor, and a lot going on as far as new committee chairs, new assignments, a lot of this new organization, which we really haven’t had in several cycles,” Orr said.
He said last week’s results should push Republicans to “hunker down, get serious, and really get busy about the people’s work.”
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
