MONTGOMERY — Talk 99.5’s “Matt & Aunie Show” broadcast live on Thursday morning from Governor Kay Ivey’s suite in the Alabama State Capitol.
Hosts Matt Murphy and Andrea Lindenberg interviewed members of Ivey’s cabinet following the governor’s 2020 State of the State Address, which occurred Tuesday evening shortly before President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address.
Ivey herself was set to interview during the prime drive time slot until she had to undergo surgery on her fractured shoulder at UAB the same morning (that procedure went successfully).
Filling in for the governor’s scheduled slot was her chief of staff, former Congressman Jo Bonner.
Bonner said the governor was looking forward “to a great session” of the legislature, which gaveled in this week.
Speaking about Ivey’s State of the State, Bonner shared, “The people that we’ve heard from — Democrats, Republicans and Independents — have all said it was a home-run.”
Ivey got resounding standing ovations from both parties on Tuesday, and the Democrats sitting behind her on stage were supportive throughout –unlike some of the much-maligned displays by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) later in the evening.
“And if you contrast that scene with — our governor, our legislature and the message that she conveyed of inclusiveness, of working together in a bipartisan way — contrast that with what we saw a few minutes later in Washington, D.C. it’s really –,” Bonner said, before being cut off. Lindenberg finished his thought by interjecting, “Night-and-day.”
Bonner then discussed the bipartisan meetings the governor has routinely held, calling Ivey’s decision to hold those “one of the perhaps most important” of her governorship.
The chief of staff added that Ivey is “increasingly proud” of the decision to consistently hold bipartisan meetings “because it has born really positive results.”
Bonner named Rebuild Alabama as a prime example. You can listen to his full interview, which was full of interesting insight, here.
Looking forward to this session, criminal justice and corrections reform could be the next success story of Ivey’s bipartisan leadership.
Bonner’s words about bipartisanship were underlined in a subsequent segment on the radio show, when State Sen. Clyde Chambliss (R-Prattville) and State Rep. Rod Scott (D-Birmingham) interviewed together. They specifically talked about past legislation they have worked on together, as well as outlining that Chambliss is helping lead the charge on what traditionally has been viewed as a Democrat priority until the last couple of years: eliminating the grocery tax.
State Rep. Rod Scott (D-Birmingham) and State Sen. @Clyde_Chambliss (R-Prattville) doing a dual interview now, underlining bipartisan nature of the Alabama legislature #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/lmTIwnTsVj
— Sean Ross (@sean_yhn) February 6, 2020
Other “Matt & Aunie” interviewees from Thursday were ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor; Brenda Tuck, Rural Development Manager for the Alabama Department of Commerce; Kristina Scott, Alabama Possible, Alabama Counts! Community Based Subcommittee; Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner Lynn Beshear; and Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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