Alabama House Speaker Pro Tem Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) is looking forward to Transportation Director John Cooper leaving the job.
During a legislative committee meeting last Friday, as lawmakers were reviewing a proposed $3 million engineering contract, Pringle criticized the tenure of Cooper.
“I don’t know when that man’s reign of tyranny over there is going to end,” Pringle said. “I don’t know what his last day is, but it can’t come fast enough for me to get rid of Mr. Cooper.”
Cooper is planning to officially retire when Governor-elect Tommy Tuberville takes office in January.
“He has been awful,” Pringle said. “He’s been terrible, and I can’t wait to see him retire.”
The contract was put on hold by State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) who was chairing the committee meeting.
Pringle has been a longtime critic of Cooper’s leadership going back to 2023 when he placed 45-day hold on every ALDOT contract. At the time, he said it was the result of an unanswered letter he sent to Cooper regarding projects Cooper canceled during the Gov. Robert Bentley administration.
“I want an answer to my letter. I think it’s a valid question. He was being petty. He was being vindictive,” Pringle said. “I think he cost the taxpayers of this state millions and millions of dollars with his pettiness. I’d like an answer to where we are with those projects.”
The lawmaker later released the hold when he was given sufficient answers to his questions.
Cooper has led ALDOT since January 2011, making him the state’s longest serving ALDOT chief in its history.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
