Last week’s falling-out between Gov. Kay Ivey and the legislature over who should control an estimated $1.8 billion in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding from the federal government allocated to the states was not a bad thing, according to State Sen. Clyde Chambliss (R-Prattville).
Despite a dispute that played out in the public after a so-called “wish list” was disseminated among the capitol press corps in Montgomery showing a line-item for $200 million for a new Alabama State House, Chambliss told Huntsville radio’s WVNN the back-and-forth was part of the “context” of a system of checks and balances.
“The first thing we need to do as citizens when we hear things — we need to think about is, ‘What is the context?'” Chambliss said. “What’s the context of what’s going on?”
“The first context is when you have a system designed as we do with separate branches, those branches are there for checks and balances on the other,” he said. “That creates a natural frustration with each other. That’s actually a good thing. That’s actually the way the system was designed. Without those checks and balances, you know, one branch or the other could get out of control. So, I don’t look at that frustration and the nyah-nyah-ing back and forth as really a negative. Of course, in the media, they try to make a big deal out of it, and it is a big deal. But it is part of our system, and we need that. We need those checks and balances. I’m not too alarmed by it.”
Despite the portrayal by media and national political figures of the $200 million State House proposal, Chambliss insisted context was what is important.
“That was some kind of low-hanging fruit,” he said of the portrayal. “But again, what was the context? The context was this money was sent down at a time that we were having to stand up hospitals, expand and buy PPEs. Things were crazy-unknown at that time. Then, a little later, we kind of flattened the curve. We get through. Then the process is, ‘Hey, if these strings are loosened, what can we do? What should we do with this money? Do we send it back? Utilize it?’ So, the what-ifs were out there. Obviously, that made an easy target, and that was the context of it. Also, it wasn’t a list by the entire legislature. It was some leadership and really just throwing something on paper to say, ‘You know, OK if strings are lightened up, what can we do with it?”What are our needs?’ is really the question that is being asked, knowing all along that some of those needs will not be eligible for that money.”
@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.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.