A relatively quiet week in the Alabama Legislature saw yet more infighting between competing Senate coalitions.Republican senators and a few of their Democratic allies brought the Alabama Senate to a halt Thursday and threatened to keep it at a standstill until the Democratic leadership agrees to rewrite the Senate’s operating rules to give the minority a stronger role.
The slowdown is a continuation of a fight that began when Sen. Jim Preuitt, D-Talladega, sought to create a majority coalition of Senate Republicans and a handful of Democrats to reorganize the Senate and take power away from Democratic leaders like Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe. Barron has been accused of limiting the power of the minority party and blocking Gov. Bob Riley’s proposals. That move failed when two Democrats defected from Preuitt’s camp at the last minute.
Since then, the Senate has been embroiled in partisan debate while the House has passed several bills of note.
Preuitt and Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, who represents St. Clair County, could not be reached for comment Friday.
While the Senate argued, the House passed several bills, including a $32 million aid package to rebuild schools damaged in the devastating Enterprise tornado earlier this month.
The House passed a bill Tuesday that would prevent legislators from hiding money for special projects in state agencies, a process known as ‘‘pass through pork.’’ It was the fourth year in a row the House passed the bill, which has never passed the Senate.
“I think it’s good legislation, but it always dies upstairs,” said Rep. Randy Wood, R-Anniston, who represents part of St. Clair County.
Several local legislators spent Wednesday at a public hearing of the House Health Committee on Alabama’s midwifery laws. Hundreds of midwives and supporters argued for a change in the law to allow midwives to attend births at home.
Reps. Ron Johnson, R-Sylacauga; Blaine Galliher, R-Rainbow City; and Jim McClendon, R-Springville, serve on that committee. All said they found the hearing informative but have not committed to a position on the matter.
“It’s a really tough decision,” said Johnson, the ranking minority member of the Health Committee. He said he believes Alabamians have a right to give birth at home that the government should not interfere with, but that babies should be protected from unsafe practices, especially in a state with a high infant mortality rate.
Johnson said there is a difference in training and qualifications between nurse-midwives and other midwives, and that expectant parents should know the difference when deciding on a home birth. Some doctors argue that midwives are not prepared to deal with complications, particularly when they occur outside of a hospital.
McClendon said House members have been “inundated” with phone calls from midwives and their advocates.
“I really didn’t know that much about it,” McClendon said. “I was impressed by the testimony the midwives gave and I learned a lot. I’m not sure where I’m going to end up.”
Galliher said he is also unsure of how he’ll vote, but he is “looking forward to working with these folks to see what can be resolved.”
Johnson said the matter has been referred to a subcommittee for further study.
Galliher introduced a bill Tuesday to create a “Christian Heritage Week” in Alabama public schools. House Bill 482 would require schools to spend 30 minutes each day during the first scholastic week in November teaching students about the influence of Christianity in America.
“I think so many times in the secular world people do not understand how our nation did evolve,” Galliher said. He said the influence of Christianity can be seen in figures from George Washington to Martin Luther King Jr.
The goal is not to proselytize or promote Christianity over other beliefs, but to educate students about an important part of America’s history, Galliher said.
The bill has been well-received among other legislators and educators whom Galliher has spoke with, he said. Sen. Zeb Little, D-Cullman, is sponsoring the bill in the Senate.
McClendon said the Legislative session has been progressing about as expected.
“I’d say we’re right on schedule,” McClendon said. “Everyone was predicting this legislative session would be worse because of the Senate, but you never know.”
Reps. Barbara Boyd, D-Anniston, and Steve Hurst, D-Munford, could not be reached for comment.
