The Bloom Group would like to congratulate our friend Blake Hardwich on her new position as Deputy Chief of Staff, Administration to Governor Robert Bentley, where she will handle the governor’s internal affairs and work under Chief of Staff Seth Hammett. Blake joins the governor’s team after serving seven years as the Director of External Affairs for Manufacture Alabama.
Rep. Jack Williams (HD47) was recently named National Legislator of the Year by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization that works to advance limited government, free markets and federalism at the state level through a nonpartisan public-private partnership of America’s state legislators, members of the private sector and the general public. A Vestavia resident, Williams was was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in a 2004 special election. Prior to being elected to the House Williams served for over eight years as Jefferson County Tax Collector and has long been active in the Alabama Republican Party, chairing the Greater Birmingham Young Republicans in the past and serving as president of the National Conference of Republican County Officials. He serves on the advisory board of GOPAC, and he is currently chairman of the House Commerce and Small Business Committee and also chairs the ADECA Oversight Committee and Co-Chairs the Alabama Sports Agents Commission. He also serves his community and was past Chairman of the Board for the Greater Birmingham Habitat for Humanity. Williams will be presented the ALEC award at the organization’s annual meeting at the end of July.
Manufacturing continues to grow across the Southeast, but the rate of growth has slowed to the national average. Manufacturing in the region fell in June for the second consecutive month dropping 4.5 points to 55.3. Activity across the nation fell at a slower rate in June, dropping one-tenth of a point to 55.3. A rating over 50 indicates growth. The Southeast PMI reading is a composite of five variables – new orders, production, employment, supply deliveries and finished inventory.
In this week’s elections, Mac Buttram (HD12) was defeated in his bid to return to the Alabama House of Representatives by Corey Harbison. Harbison was heavily supported by the AEA, and with no opponent facing him in the general election, he’ll be representing the Cullman area. Buttram’s professionalism and integrity will be missed by his colleagues, and his loss is truly a loss for all; as one of the House’s most conservative members, he helped protect and uphold Alabama’s conservative values for four years.
That the message from the leader of the Alabama Senate. Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said recently he would look at proposals to close the gap in the state’s $1.8 billion General Fund budget, which pays for most non-education programs in the state. Marsh said he believed an additional 9 percent reduction in the state’s work force is achievable. Marsh added that such reductions would be achieved by attrition and said this is an opportunity to further “right-size government.” Marsh said that other measures are on the table including consolidation of the state’s two budgets; removing earmarks that tie up more than four-fifths of the state’s tax revenue and the elimination of some deductions and exemptions.
At least for the state’s highest offices, the recent primary elections yielded no surprises.
Governor Robert Bentley recently announced plans to revamp the state’s criminal justice system. Alabama will participate in a program offered by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, a national organization that helps states analyze and improve their criminal justice systems. The Justice Reinvestment Initiative will look crime and arrest trends in Alabama and aggregate corrections data, which will be the foundation for establishing the process and timelines for any new proposals. The goal is to maintain and improve public safety in a cost-effective manner. Savings could be used to establish and/or expand substance abuse and mental health services. The justice center has worked with 18 states to date, and in Michigan, reform legislation that address prison problems in that state was recently signed into law.
Local leaders in Huntsville confirmed they are fielding inquiries from other arms manufacturers about expanding into North Alabama. This comes after Remington’s announcement earlier this year about bringing thousands of jobs to Huntsville at its new facility. Local leaders say there have been more than a dozen arms manufacturers who might be considering an expansion into the area. Governor Bentley announced recently during a speech in Huntsville that he believes the addition of Remington will lead to more arms manufacturers coming to the state.
As the school year winds down, and we all get ready for summer, the wheels of government keep turning.
The mentally ill who have nowhere to go and find little help from those around them often land hard in emergency rooms, county jails and city streets. The lucky ones find homes with family; those not so lucky show up in the morgue. States looking to save money have chipped away at both the community mental health services and the hospital care needed to help heal after a crisis. For decades, states have been reducing hospital beds due to pressures from insurance companies as well as a desire to provide more care outside institutions. Tight budgets during the recession caused devastating cuts related to mental health services in this country. It is estimated that states cut $5 billion from 2009-12. Nearly half of adults with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia receive no treatment, and most suicides result from untreated mental disease. It’s an issue that deserves attention and action.
