While the likelihood of a special session before the legislature is scheduled to reconvene in February 2021 remains extremely low, chatter continues in and around state government about the possibility.
Several items went unresolved from the 2020 regular session, including Alabama’s prison crisis and issues related to the pandemic, including state taxation on federal relief monies and legal liabilities related to the virus, which is fueling the buzz of the possibility being revisited by Gov. Kay Ivey.
In an interview with Mobile radio’s FM Talk 106.5 that aired Friday, State Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh (R-Anniston) downplayed the possibility but insisted on the legal liability front that his chamber was still ready to act, as was shown by the closing days of the 2020 session.
“The Senate was prepared to pass a bill that had been worked out before we went back to session,” Marsh said on “The Jeff Poor Show.” “The House did not want to take up but a bare minimum of the pieces of legislation. So, we were prepared to do it, but the House wasn’t. I think we’ve got that bill ready to go, although I think it could be handled in a regular session. And I also believe the legal community understands what’s going on here — the pressures, and I’m just not anticipating a lot of success of people bringing these lawsuits unless it is blatant — it’s very obvious someone put someone at risk intentionally. That’s a different story. But most businesses are just going to operate the best they can.”
Marsh said as of right now, he’s against a special session because he did not see House of Representatives willing to work given the threat of COVID-19.
“[I] don’t see the need, don’t want to do it,” Marsh said. “I mean, I was frustrated in the last session. We were wanting to come back. The Senate was ready to go to work and work. But the House, which has different problems because of the number of people and trying to keep the social distancing — it was obvious they were very frustrated to even be there. Until there’s a vaccine, that doesn’t change. I don’t want to have the headaches of it, quite honestly. If we’re going to come down, I want to come down and work. If everybody’s not willing to do that, we’ll just wait until regular session.”
“Nothing has changed really if you look at the last time we were in session until now,” he added. “Nothing has changed. You still have some members in the House and Senate who are in what I would call an at-risk category. And you’ve got, obviously, staff in the same situation. So, unless you can get a comfort level there and be able to operate under those conditions, I don’t think you can have a productive session.”
When asked if a vaccine should be made available before February, if he would be willing to participate in a special session, Marsh said he would be ready but voiced his skepticism the House and the governor’s office would be as willing.
“Let me say this again, very simple — I’m open to a regular session or special session anytime if people will come and work,” he added. “I’m just telling you. I mean, the Senate — when we come down, we’re ready to work. I’m not pointing fingers, but I’m telling you — we were like pulling teeth to come back for the last regular session between the House and the administration. Nobody was eager to come back. We had to force that issue. There again, if people want to work — we’ll come back. But I don’t see anything has changed to get people in that attitude.”
The 2020 regular session ended with friction between the Senate and House and Ivey’s office. Marsh said that the relationship between the Senate and the House and the Governor’s office is still in need of mending.
“I think we wait and tackle it at a new day,” Marsh said. “I think there has to be more trust built. It’s obvious that there was a loss of trust, quite honestly, between the House and Senate, and even between the Senate and the executive group. We’ll see where it goes. We’ll have to rebuild that, but we’ll work to do that.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.
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