State senator Josh Carnley and State Representative Matthew Hammett were the featured speakers at the Andalusia Region Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Luncheon event that was hosted by PowerSouth on Monday.
Both lawmakers are elected into their current positions during the 2022 elections.
Hammett, who represents Alabama House District 92, talked about his experience at Montgomery and the legislative session currently in.
“I have been thoroughly enjoying my experience in the State House so far. The two men who were in the position prior to me are legends: Mike Jones and Seth Hammett. I’m trying to reach that position. Allen Baker of Escambia County has been my teacher and a huge assistance. I also am a part of the Wiregrass Delegation. We have connections from Dothan and Mobile and we have the same goal and strive to stay together. To succeed, we need to work together and develop friendships,” Hammett said.
He is a member of committees such as the Agriculture and Forestry, County and Municipal Government and Urban and Rural Development committees.
“I’m pleased to be on the Urban and Rural Development committee because it’s the area we’re from, which is a rural region of our state.” the senator said. “I consider that being on this committee, and also that of the Municipal and County Government committee will help me get a better position further down the road .”
Hammett also addressed the current and special legislative sessions.
“I’m satisfied that we completed the repayment of the debt of $60 million for the Alabama Trust Fund. We provided $225 million for rural broadband which is a major need, and I’m pleased that we’re working hard to bring broadband access to all our residents. We also gave 100 million in reimbursements for nursing hospitals and nursing homes. I consider that to be an incredible amount. We need to do all we can to support our local hospitals,” Hammett said.
The current session Hammett declared that the House has passed a cost-of-living increase for state employees. 10% increase to the Alabama Department of Corrections, 8 percent for the Alabama Department of Corrections,8 percent more for the Alabama Medicaid Agency, 35 percent increase for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, an increase of 8 percent in the Alabama Department of Mental Health in addition to an increase in and the Alabama Forestry Service, which also includes increased funds for the state’s volunteer firefighters.
“If you reside in a rural region, you are aware of how vital volunteers are in firefighter departments,” He said.
Additional bills which passed through the House that Hammett mentioned included one that would increase the prison sentence for those who are found guilty of selling Fentanyl.
“I did not know the dangers of fentanyl. One packet, roughly the same amount as the Sweet & Low packets, could kill 500 people. This is a serious issue and I’m very proud that we’re taking the lead and imposing a tougher penalties for those facing with it.” said the official.
House also approved an amendment that removes the tax of 5 percent on overtime earnings.
Carnley who represents District 31, has spoken on the issues facing the Alabama Senate.
“The most important thing you can perform in Montgomery is to establish relationships. I’m incredibly grateful to interact with the people I’ve met. They’ve become a valuable resource for me. I count on them to be experts in their subject.
After the special session that dealt issues with ARPA COVID funding, Carnley noted that the present regular session has been able to extend State’s Jobs Act.
“One of the major issues we worked on in the regular session is”the Jobs Act. The current bill expires July. We tweaked certain aspects and extended it until July 2028. It’s a great plan for our state. We compete with other states, and If you’re not competitive, you’ll not have a chance to participate in the economic development programs. There are a lot of positive things to be gained from these programs.” Carnley said.
The State Senate has also passed the Education Trust Fund budget, which is awaiting the approval of through the House.
“A significant amount of effort went into the project. There is no consensus on what we should do with the money, but we agree on the importance of the ability to provide Alabama pupils with the highest quality education they can get,” Carnley said.
He also discussed school selection.
“We can debate school choice for hours however there are areas of the country in which school choice is not a factor. There are many possibilities however, we need to be aware not to abandon students .”
Carnley also discussed the budget passed by through the State Senate.
“We haven’t spent $2.7 billion that was allocated to education. We have the chance to be good stewards for this money, and I hope that we don’t allow politics to get involved. We must be careful in our dealings with this money. What is being proposed is to put $500 million into the Education Opportunity Fund so it can be available in the event of a decrease of education trust funds. Education Trust Fund .”
Other attendees at the luncheon were Jennifer McClung, vice-president of the chamber board; Lora McClendon, government and public affairs rep with PowerSouth The judge William Alverson; Mellisa King chamber president; Ginny Grimes who is the legislative chair for the chamber. Scott Rogers, Richard Moore along with Jason Gunter performed an instrumental version of “The Star Spangled Banner.”
The article Carnley, Hammett speak at the AACC’s Legislative Luncheon first appeared in The Andalusia Star-News.
