On Monday, the Alabama Legislature wrapped up its 2021 regular session with a typical last-minute push to pass bills before the bewitching hour of midnight.
Unfortunately, for some members in both chambers, they had to watch their bills die as their respective counterparts ran out of time for consideration. Often, that is a cause for frustration for members of the legislature. However, State Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed (R-Jasper) insists that was to be expected in the waning moments of any legislative year.
Tuesday, during an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5’s “The Jeff Poor Show,” Reed boasted about the achievements of the Alabama Senate.
“I couldn’t be happier,” he said. “Overall, I think the Senate had a pretty good work product. We worked well together. You know, for me, becoming the president pro tem the very first day of legislative session was something important where things were able to work out. Members felt like they were supported appropriately, and we were able to work collaboratively, Republican and Democrat, to be able to do some important things that were before the Senate body. I also felt it was important in our working relationship with the House of Representatives as well as the Governor’s office — I feel like we were able to do that, some good production on budgets, on economic development-related legislation, on topics supporting the Second Amendment.”
“Last night, we even worked on some legislation dealing with curbside voting and the idea of other legislation that we had already passed related to elections and securing Alabama’s elections,” Reed continued. “And we had a bill important to several of our members last night that’s been in Senate several times called the born-alive bill. Basically, if a child is born in an abortion procedure and is alive, then it is a requirement of the medical staff to offer aid to the child. We were able to have that pass the Senate last night, 31-0. Every member was in support. So, I thought that was exciting. It was a good way to end. Certainly, we had some things we wished we had been final in the tally on all the work that we did. I am very pleased with what was accomplished by the Senate in the session.”
Reed downplayed any friction between his chamber and the lower chamber in the wake of the 2021 legislative session.
“I think we’ve got a good relationship, House and Senate,” he said. “I think legislative leadership work well together. You’re always going to have push and pull at the end of the session to where members — you’re not going to pass every bill. You’re going to have members [say], ‘Hey, I’ve got three bills really important to me and I only got two done. I really wish the third one really could have gotten done.’ You’re going to have that always. Looking at that in general, I think having just a collaborative effort for members working together, House and Senate for general accomplishments — I think that’s what we’re doing in the body. I think that’s the attitude that we’re sharing. We have good relationships.”
“Can they be better over time?” Reed added. “Sure. I talked about growing relationships with other members of the legislature — certainly an important hallmark of the things I think are important for us to do as a body. But we have a good relationship. We’ll continue to grow it and work together. I think the attitude of members having a common theme and common goal of what we’re trying to do is very important. And we’ll keep our hand to the plow trying to do things that are important to the people of Alabama.”
@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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