State Rep. Lee: Consideration of changes to ADPH, State Health Officer won’t come until 2022 session

Last month, State Sen. Jim McClendon (R-Springville) introduced legislation that would reconstitute the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and remake the agency’s leadership. McClendon, the chairman of the State Senate Health Committee, proposed abolishing the State Board of Health and the State Health Officer. Also included in his proposal would be creating a Secretary of the Alabama Department of Public Health, which the Governor would appoint.

McClendon’s counterpart in the House of Representatives, House Health Committee chairman State Rep. Paul Lee (R-Dothan) is also considering options to deal with the agency and the role of the State Health Officer, an office currently occupied by Dr. Scott Harris. However, Lee does not think a fair evaluation of the ADPH can be made under the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lee explained his preference to wait until the 2022 legislative session to consider changes to the state government executive branch’s role in public health during an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5’s “The Jeff Poor Show.”

“I’m actually working with them, presently,” he said. “I think we may have something we can present next year that will address some of the concerns that are out there, and hopefully, we can make it better. It’s worked for 150 years. Do I think we need to scrap it completely? No. But could there be some adjustments? Yes, and I think we’re going to work on that — well, I know we are. I just had some conversations yesterday to see if we can’t bring it back next year because as far as it being in the middle of a pandemic that we’re trying to get ourselves out of — changing courses completely would not be a good idea.”

Lee argued a better assessment could be made with a complete view of information that might not yet be available.

“[I] have concern with someone making the type decisions he is making that answers to someone politically because I’ve seen decisions that were made that I’m not sure I would have agreed with at the time,” Lee added. “But looking back, I’m thinking he made the right decision because he had more information than I had. And you know, I’m hearing from different groups here one way or the other, supportive or non-supportive. You know, I think I have a lot of information, but sometimes I know I don’t have the information as he would have nor the background in medical education that he has. So, you have to have someone there that’s willing to step out and make a decision and have the information to back up that decision.”

@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.