Untitled 49

Child labor prevention, animal welfare, and worker’s rights among concerns presented at legislative forum

On Monday, January 6, North Alabama senators and representatives from 13 districts showed up for the annual Madison County Legislative Delegation Public Forum.

The Huntsville City Council Chamber was packed with citizens who came to have their voices heard by their elected representatives.

Those who wished to speak signed up at the door. Speakers were allotted three minutes each. 

Around 30 people signed up to speak, briefly noting what they wanted to talk about. 

The forum was limited to an hour, so the presiding legislator, State Senator Arthur Orr, chose a variety of issues as he selected speakers.

Labor Exploitation

Whitney Washington and Jacob Keller of the North Alabama Area Labor Council both spoke critically of Senate Bill 231. 

“Last year the Alabama legislature passed SB231, a piece of legislation weaponizing public funds to attack unions,” said Washington. 

Washington went on to explain that Senate Bill 231 penalized companies that voluntarily supported their workers’ unions by revoking tax incentives.

Washington and Keller both called for support of this year’s Senate Bill 22, a bill that would revoke tax incentives from companies utilizing child labor.

Washington mentioned the Hyundai supply chain companies in Alabama that employed children as young as 12, and a 15-year-old employed by a large roofing contractor who died on the job in Cullman, Alabama. 

Keller noted that child labor law violations in Alabama are largely due to unregulated temporary staffing agencies. 

Keller asked for support of an upcoming bill that would require enforcement of existing laws that require temporary staffing agencies to register with the department of commerce. 

Another upcoming bill that Keller would like to see supported would prevent manufacturers that receive economic incentives from requiring mandatory overtime. 

“I don’t want my tax dollars to fund the exploitation of children, the overworking of parents, or the poverty of working people,” said Keller.

Education

Amy Fahimi addressed education, asking for a repeal of the Choose Act signed into law last year. The Choose Act provides families up to $7000 a year in state funds for private school expenses. 

Fahimi pointed out that $7000 per year will likely still not be enough for lower-income families to send their children to private schools. 

While there is a family income cap during the first few years of the Act’s implementation, it will eventually become available even to those who can already afford to send their children to private schools.

According to Fahimi, this will ultimately undermine already underfunded public education in Alabama.

UAH COB Chamber ad 780x130 1

Libraries

Susan Stewart talked about the culture war that has caught libraries and librarians in the crossfire. 

Legislation has been drafted and promoted by a small but loud group that wants libraries “restricted to reflecting only their narrow beliefs,” said Stewart.

Stewart expressed serious concerns about upcoming House Bill 4 specifically. This bill would remove liability protections for public and school librarians as well as expand the definitions of obscenity to include ways of dressing.

“It could be used against any employee who doesn’t conform to someone else’s taste,” said Stewart.

The bill would threaten librarians with jail time and require them to assume the role of parents monitoring the reading choices of minors. 

Other language in the bill is dangerously vague and open to broad interpretation, according to Stewart. For instance, a librarian could face criminal charges if a member of the public believes there might be an offensive book somewhere in the library.

“This deliberately vague language and threats of legal action are intended to intimidate librarians,” said Stewart.

Voting Rights

Roger Ellis, a member of the League of Women Voters of the Tennessee Valley, encouraged support for House Bill 381. This bill would allow constituents with disabilities which prevent them from going to the polls to designate a person to deliver their absentee ballot to the election manager. 

Ellis said there are currently about 400,000 disabled people living in Alabama who would potentially benefit from this legislation.

Human Rights

The delegation also heard from a transwoman who addressed the difficulty of navigating a society in which most people are only familiar with a caricature of transgender people created by ignorance. 

She explained that this ignorance has resulted in a lot of proposed legislation that targets transgender people. Her plea to the legislators present was to recognize the caricatures being used in proposed legislation and not to vote to endanger trans people.

“While ignorance itself is not a sin, using that ignorance to write legislation does real harm,” she said.

Animal Welfare

Karen Borden spoke as a representative of numerous animal welfare advocates and groups present. Borden explained that current animal welfare laws in Alabama do not ensure that domestic animals receive a humane level of care. 

“Today, though, I seek sponsorship for a bill to apply to Madison County only,” said Borden.  

The bill would include language defining adequate shelter, prohibiting the chaining of dogs as containment, and defining animal abuse and neglect so that a suffering animal can be impounded by animal control officers.

Fentress bannerad

Other Concerns

Keith Lowhorn, President of Grandparents as Parents, asked the lawmakers to provide some of the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding to assist the roughly 60,000 grandparents in Alabama who are currently raising their grandchildren.

Tom Borden expressed concerns about Senate Bill 29. 

That bill would allow building permits, health certifications, and environmental certifications to be issued by default in cases where the government agency does not already have a deadline for approving or denying a permit or certification. 

Borden’s concern was that this practice might ultimately lead to unsafe structures and eating establishments.

The evening’s speakers were passionate about the topics important to them, and the overall mood of the forum was one of interest and support for the various concerns addressed.

In closing, Senator Orr urged those who had not had a chance to speak to contact their legislators directly.

Below is contact information for the state senators and representatives serving North Alabama.

Senate

District 2
Tom Butler
PO Box 653
Madison 35758
256.539.5441 (to leave message)
334.261.0884 (State House)
State House Suite 730
senbutler@aol.com

District 3
Arthur Orr
PO Box 305
Decatur 35602
256.260.2146
334.261.0758 (State House)
State House Suite 727
senator@arthurorr.com

District 7
Sam Givhan
11 South Union St, Ste 735
Montgomery 36130
256.539.5441 (to leave message)
334.261.0867 (State House)
State House Suite 732
sam.givhan@alsenate.gov

District 8
Steve Livingston
PO Box 8
Scottsboro 35768
256.609.6341
334.261.0858 (State House)
State House Suite 731
senatorstevelivingston@gmail.com

District 9
Wes Kitchens
524 Gunter Ave
Guntersville 35976
256.582.0619
334.261.0853 (State House)
State House Suite 737
weskitchens@mclo.org

House

District 4
Parker Moore
2128 6th Ave, Ste 504
Decatur 35601
256.227.6674
334.261.0579 (State House)
State House Room 417E
parker.moore@alhouse.gov

District 6
Andy Whitt
PO Box 306
Harvest 35749
256.539.5441 (to leave message)
334.261.0404 (State House)
State House Room 425
andy.whitt@alhouse.gov

District 10
Marilyn Lands
726 Madison St
Huntsville 35801
256.527.8197
334.261.0483 (State House)
State House Room 536A
marilynlands@gmail.com

District 19
Laura Hall
726 Madison St
Huntsville 35801
256.656.2301
334.261.0517 (State House)
State House Room 517D
annihall19@gmail.com

District 20
James Lomax
726 Madison St
Huntsville 35801
256.503.6088
334.261.0444 (State House)
State House Room 525A
jamesoliverlomax@gmail.com

District 21
Rex Reynolds
PO Box 18743
Huntsville 35804
256.539.5441 (to leave message)
334.261.0571 (State House)
State House Room 410B
rex.reynolds@alhouse.gov

District 22
Ritchie Whorton
PO Box 310
Owens Cross Roads 35763
256.679.6490
334.261.0553 (State House)
State House Room 427J
ritchiewhorton@gmail.com

District 25
Phillip Rigsby
726 Madison St
Huntsville 35801
256.539.5441 (to leave message)
334.261.0514 (State House)
State House Room 527B
reprigsbydistrict25@gmail.com

District 53
Anthony Daniels
726 Madison Street
Huntsville 35801
256.539.5441 (to leave message)
334.261.0522 (State House)
State House Room 428
anthonydanielsdistrict53@gmail.com

BRYBNK HSV Business Journal Web 2 Tools