Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) is already looking ahead to what he expects the Alabama Legislature to be working on in the 2026 session, which is coming up in January with lawmakers returning for the final year of the current quadrennium.

Gudger said he expects a busy session where they will address education, healthcare, economic growth, and more, continuing themes he has emphasized since becoming pro tem and launching his “rural roadmap” push for small-town Alabama.

He outlined his priorities in Rightside Radio’s inaugural guest interview on Thursday in its new format with hosts Allison Sinclair and Ami Beth Shaver.

“I was just making a list of just thinking of different items that some of my colleagues have been talking about in the state house,” Gudger said on “Rightside Radio” Thursday.

“But there’s gonna be some education bills, for sure, some workforce development bills and funding for regional workforce career tech for the K-12 like we did last year… There’s gonna be some healthcare bills, rural healthcare bills that’ll be coming out, competitive tax code bills, so that we’re trying to lower that and the burden on hardworking Alabamians. I think that’s important.”

Gudger also said he expects state lawmakers to address the issues with the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA). The group generated controversy earlier this year after attempting to implement a new rule that required student-athletes who transfer schools using new school choice funds to sit out for one year before competing.

Governor Kay Ivey and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter have taken the association to court over the policy, and a Montgomery judge has temporarily blocked AHSAA from enforcing the rule while the lawsuit proceeds.

“As far as priorities, you’ve got the Alabama State Athletic Association’s issue,” Gudger said.

“I know that that is a big issue with some of the leadership, and so they’re going to be handling that as it comes forward,” he explained. “But we had our caucus meeting this past Monday, and it was brought up in different from different people when we went around the room from our colleagues, so there’ll be something on that.”

On the perennial topic of legalized gambling in Alabama, after a comprehensive gaming bill that passed the Alabama House in 2024 was expected to re-emerge in the Alabama Senate in 2025 — Gudger laid down a strong marker roughly halfway into this year’s session by saying his chamber simply did not have the 21 votes needed to pass the 35-member chamber.

As for 2026, Gudger said while he will advance the collective will of the Senate Republican Caucus on the issue, he said doesn’t foresee it coming up.

“That is going to truly be in the Senate a caucus vote, if we want to bring that up or not,” he said. “So I’m just going to let everybody know now there are people that did not vote for it last time, that want to vote for it this time and vice versa. That vote depends on the devil is in the details, and what those details say. And so that will be something that my job is to get everybody in the ship and rowing in the same direction. If my ship does not want to be rowed in that direction, then we’re not going to go down that path. And I will let people know sooner than later when that comes up, but as of right now, I do not see that coming up.”

Overall, Gudger said he’s going to be focused on sound, conservative governance.

“Just to be very clear, I think there’s some people that might not believe that in the state house, that they want more government because it gives them more power and control. That’s not who I am,” he argued. “And so as I’m being the leader of the Alabama State Senate. I think my colleagues in the Senate realize exactly where I am, and they’re following in suit. And I believe they believe that as well, the best way we can help people is to get out of the way, just like Ronald Reagan said. And I want to continue that motto.”

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