Windom galliher SPECIAL Montgomery update August 15, 2016 ‘The imperial speakership is over’ Speaker McCutcheon pledges to work with entire House body Rep. Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) was elected Speaker of the House on the first day of the Special Session on Mon- day, quickly setting a tone for a new day on the 5th floor of the Alabama Statehouse. “To put it bluntly, the days of the imperi- al speakership are over,” Speaker McCutcheon told the body after earning 68 votes. Speaker McCutcheon succeeds Mike Hubbard, who was removed from office upon his conviction in June on 12 felony charges of using his office for personal gain. Democrats and some Republicans SPEAKER MAC McCUTCHEON (R-MONROVIA) WAS THE OVERWHELMING CHOICE OF criticized Hubbard, the architect of the THE HOUSE TO BE THE LOWER CHAMBER’S PRESIDING OFFICER 2010 GOP legislative takeover, for his frequent iron-fisted approach to leading the House. an uphill battle, at the least – but the pair of bills to start the ball rolling on Legislature may opt for using BP funds using the state’s share of the BP- Democrats nominated former General as a multi-year, but not long-term meas- Deepwater Horizon settlement funds. An Fund chairman Rep. John Knight of ure. effort to do so in the regular session col- Montgomery, but he gained only 30 lapsed at the end of the session. Should In the Senate, Sen. Jim McClendon (R- votes – the number of Democrats in the the lottery efforts fail, then BP becomes Springville) introduced two lottery bills – chamber when the vote was taken. a much more likely vehicle to help fill the one supported by Gov. Bentley and the In his opening remarks, Speaker other that also authorizes video lottery funding gap. McCutcheon reached out to his fellow terminals at the state’s greyhound In the House, Rep. Alan Harper (R- members and told them he would stick tracks. Sen. (R-Huntsville) Northport) is expected to handle Gov. to his roots. introduced again a bill to allow the state Bentley’s preferred bill. “I’m just a retired cop, trying to make a to participate in a multistate lottery only. It is not known yet if a House Republican living and pay the light bill,” he said. He Both McClendon bills are scheduled for will introduce the other version offered also told the House that it has done its a hearing Tuesday in the Senate Tourism by Sen. McClendon. best work when its back was to the wall. and Marketing Committee. A vote is ex- Sen. (R-Trussville) intro- That’s exactly where the Legislature pected at least on the combined bill and duced a bill that is likely to gain traction finds itself, trying yet again to fill a gap in likely both. Sen. (R-Range) Medicaid funding in a paltry General introduced a constitutional amendment in the special session. Fund. requiring the governor to negotiate a It is akin to a bill introduced by Rep. Al- Gov. Robert Bentley called the session compact with the Poarch Band of Creek len Treadaway (R-Morris) in the regular for the purpose of enacting a state lot- Indians. session to require legislators to be sus- pended from any leadership position tery to prop up Medicaid. Whether the Sen. (R-Decatur) introduced a lottery will pass remains to be seen – it’s upon indictment.