Actions taken by Gov. Kay Ivey and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris are starting to raise questions from those within the Alabama legislature concerned about the overreach of the state in the name of handling the government-proclaimed emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Add State Rep. Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals) to that growing chorus of lawmakers in Montgomery.
On Wednesday, Sorrell urged listeners of Huntsville radio WVNN’s “The Jeff Poor Show” to be on the lookout for violations of their constitutional rights, adding that it should outweigh concerns about the state’s economy.
“Where you’ve got to be the most on the lookout for your constitutional rights is an emergency because that’s when government becomes authoritarian. That’s when you lose your rights,” Sorrell said. “When people start to get afraid, they’re more willing to give up their rights and freedoms. And that is what we’ve got to watch out for. My concerns with how this whole crisis has been handled are constitutional. People are saying, ‘Well, it is hurting our economy.’ I’m very concerned it is hurting our economy, but that shouldn’t be our number-one concern. Our number-one concern is you have the government telling people you can’t go to church. You have the government telling people you can’t assemble in groups of 10 or more. You have the government telling people you can’t leave your own house except for approved activities. None of those three things that I just named are constitutional.”
“And I think we need to look at the State Health Officer,” he continued. “I think before this, none of us knew how much power the one individual had — unelected, I might add. And it is scary how much power is concentrated in the hand of one person.”
Sorrell mentioned he has a bill he is putting forth that would require a vote by the Alabama legislature in the event another shutdown might be needed.
“[I] don’t feel like I was able to represent my constituents in this because I had absolutely no say in it,” he said. “It all came from the State Health Officer and the Governor’s office.”
However, as the legislature is headed toward Sine Die for 2020, Sorrell acknowledged getting his bill considered before the 2021 general session would be tough. However, he did not rule out some actions being considered on reigning in the powers of the state government should Ivey call a special session later in 2020.
@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 Huntsville’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN.
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