Fifteen years ago, everything changed in the Alabama Legislature.
In 2010, Republicans gained control of the Alabama House of Representatives and the Alabama State Senate.
Republicans flipped 17 House seats and seven Senate seats, marking the first time in 136 years that our party held the majority in both chambers.
This historic shift gave Alabama—struggling in nearly every measurable way—a chance to right the ship. And that’s exactly what we have done.
When Republicans took office, Alabama’s financial situation was in crisis. The state had endured five rounds of proration in just 10 years—forcing mid-year budget cuts that disrupted essential services. Simply keeping the lights on at the State House was a challenge.
Prior to Republican control, the State Legislature had spent beyond its means for decades, racking up over $600 million in debt by raiding the Alabama Trust Fund and depleting the state’s rainy-day accounts.
That reckless era ended in 2010. The days of “robbing Peter to pay Paul” came to a screeching halt under Republican leadership.
One of our first actions was to reduce the number of state employees by over 5,000 people.
In 2011, we passed the Rolling Reserve Act, which has been a game-changer for Alabama’s financial stability. Before this reform, budgets were built on wishful thinking, with spending based on overly optimistic revenue projections. As any responsible financial manager will tell you, that’s a surefire way to go broke.
The Rolling Reserve Act put an end to that practice. It capped spending in the Education Trust Fund based on a 15-year revenue average, ensuring Alabama could no longer overspend during economic booms. Any revenue exceeding the cap now goes into reserve funds, preventing mid-year cuts during downturns. Thanks to this measure, the state has had fourteen consecutive years without proration in education funding.
Another critical reform came in 2012, when Republicans championed a Constitutional Amendment—approved by the people of Alabama—that tied legislative pay to median household income.
This was necessary because between 1991 and 2007, the Legislature had repeatedly voted to give themselves pay raises, culminating in a 61% increase during a national recession in 2007. That era of self-serving government ended with Republican leadership.
Over the last 15 years, we’ve implemented a series of fiscally responsible and conservative budgeting practices that have stabilized Alabama’s finances. In 2019, we finished paying off $600 million in debt. We restored, strengthened, and even created reserve accounts.
We’ve passed more than a dozen tax cuts in the last three years, including reducing the Grocery Tax by 25%, which is the largest cut in Alabama’s history. In fact, when you factor in the $400 million tax rebate Alabamians received in 2021, the Legislature has passed over $1.4 billion in tax cuts since 2021.
We’ve made strategic investments in education, infrastructure, and economic development, and we’re seeing real results.
The Literacy and Numeracy Acts have moved Alabama’s public education rankings from 49th to 34th in reading and from 52nd to 32nd in math. We have also passed the CHOOSE Act – solidifying Alabama as one of the most pro school-choice states in the entire country.
Alabama’s roads and bridges were once among the worst in the country – we were recently ranked as 8th best state in the nation for roads, bridges, airports, power, and broadband.
Economic development has been no different – we’ve cut red tape and utilized a pro-business approach to government that has resulted in Alabama being nationally recognized as the most improved state for doing business.
Some are suggesting that Alabama establish a Department of Government Efficiency. But here’s the reality: We’ve been continuously implementing responsible, efficient government practices for the last 15 years.
We spend less than we receive.
We now have sufficient reserves to withstand economic downturns.
We pass a balanced budget every year and have passed legislation that limits year-over-year budget growth.
We keep government operating because we can afford to pay state employees, including our teachers.
We have one of the lowest state debt burdens in the nation.
And we continue cutting taxes, solidifying our position as the lowest tax state in the country.
Do we believe additional measures to improve efficiency, accountability, and transparency are necessary?
Absolutely.
That’s why, in 2019, the Legislature created the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services (ACES).
This commission conducts independent, data-driven evaluations of state programs to assess their impact and cost-effectiveness. ACES works hand-in-hand with state agencies and policymakers to recommend improvements—or eliminations—of ineffective programs.
We have also consolidated or eliminated numerous boards and commission through the Sunset Committee and are working on legislation to do the same with some occupational licensing boards.
ACES is a powerful tool, but we can and should do more to cut taxes, reduce waste, and ensure government works for the people—not for itself.
That has been the mission of the Republican-led Legislature for the last 15 years, and our work is continuing in the current Legislative Session.
So, does Alabama need a “Department” of Government Efficiency?
We already have one. We just call it Republican leadership.
Danny Garrett represents Trussville in the Alabama House of Representatives and serves as the Chairman of the Alabama House Ways and Means Education Committee.
