This week on Capitol Journal, we are on location of the Grand Hotel and Point Clear for the Business Council of Alabama's annua Governmental Affairs conference.

It is the state's larges gathering of elected officials and business leaders, who come togethe for a series of policy meetings, panel discussions and networking.

Here on mobile Bay Capital Journal once again has special access to this year's conference.

With reporting from Jeff Sanders, Randy Scott and Alex Angle.

And I'll sit down with BCA president and CEO Helena Duncan, BCA chairman Mark Drew of Protective Life.

House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter.

Senate president pro tem Garland governo and Congressman Robert Aderholt.

That's all next on this special episode of Capitol Journal.

And welcome to the Grand Hotel here in Point Clear.

Alabama Capital Journal is here on location for the Business Council of Alabama's annua government affairs conference.

With this being an election year and a transition in state government ahead, this year's conferenc focused on economic development and how Alabama can continue its success in the future.

Capital Journal's Jeff Sanders has that story.

While Alabama lawmakers make the policies that can attract or push away business investment.

It was business leaders themselves who took the stage at the annual BCA conference to share why their companies chose Alabama, and why they continue to call the state home.

Moderated by longtime sports broadcast or an Alabama native, Paul Finebaum, the panel featured Darrell Taylor, senior vice president of U.S.

commercial aircraft operations at Airbus.

Daniel Wahby, associate vice president of state government affairs for Eli Lilly and Company.

Clarence Mingo, vic president of corporate affairs and government relations for the Marchetti Company.

And Frederico Kozlowski, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz U.S.

international.

The executives pointed to Alabama's workforce, business, climate, and relationships with state and local leaders as reasons their companies have invested and continued to grow here.

The ability to have partnerships in relationships that allow businesses to grow and prosper.

The consideration given to employees flocking her from all parts of the country, and that those employees are able to establish roots, set up their families, and help your organization and the communities in which they're now planted and grow.

Task force that are set up to talk about health care, which is near and dear to Eli Lilly and the patients we serve, not just in Alabama but across the world.

That legislative task force that will look at making Alabama healthier, state is is that kind of collaboration that kind of working together, that interest in protecting what we build together because we understand what it means and going through rough times and knowing we can look each other's in the eyes and and protect what we have, because it's precious that that has no value.

More impossible to sa how much value has everyone else the goal of making, making, the result a better result?

For the for the company, but also for the, for the state and the region.

And people turn up.

Right.

So I think that's why, you know, we see the success and why you would, you know, be very difficult to think about not doing business and not growing further, even in Alabama.

The discussion also included a familiar Alabama name, Bingo's company name, Rossetti Company owned Sister Schubert's, a brand that got its start in Leuven and has been a favorite on Alabama dinner tables for more than 30 years.

And Finebaum brought a little bit of his radio show to point clear when he took question from the audience, including one supposedly from KYW in Camden.

Of course, we know it's Governor Ivey.

We all love and miss Sister Sherbert sauce age rap rolls.

How quickly can we get them back on the shelves?

I am very pleased to announce, on behalf of the Mars daddy Company that the sister Shubert sausag roll will be returning to Publix grocery stores in just a few short weeks.

That, and no doubt the retur of those sister Shubert sausage roll is a big hit with the folk here at VCA, and it highlights a theme from that panel discussion.

Listening to both the folks who live here and the business leaders to make sure that economic development and growth continue in the years to come.

Reporting from the Business Council of Alabama annual conference in Point clear.

I'm Jeff Sanders for Capitol Journal.

Thank you.

Jeff.

Members of Alabama's congressional delegation are here at the conference.

They gathered for a panel discussion talking about a wide range of issues.

Alex Angle is here, and she has that story.

As Alabama's federal lawmakers spend their August recess back in the state, the House delegation teamed up to share insights into the past year and look ahead to the next few months in Congress.

During the federal panel of Bca's annual Government Affairs Conference, the delegation chimed in on legislation that they want to see passed before the end of the year or next year.

Besides the annual defense policy bill, House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers says he wants Congress to tackle comprehensive immigration reform.

Take the folks who are here illegally, who have a job staying out of trouble and want to stay in work, give them permanent legal status.

They would be citizens and have to renew it.

But I think that's very doable now that the border secure.

Congressman Barry Moore and Congresswoman Terri Shaw said they were committed to securing elections, but they diverged on the best path to do that.

All of us want, you know, safe, fair, and secure elections.

People want.

We want everybody to know that when you cast your ballot, that it's going to count.

But I also think that we have to protect, the sacred right to vote.

So many folks are being left behind by legislation.

Wants to pass her John Lewi Voting Rights Advancement Act.

While Moore is focused on th Republican led Save America Act.

For me, that's certainly going to be on the top of the list for things I'd like to see across the finish line.

After the House panel, Republican gubernatorial nominee Senato Tommy Tuberville took the stage.

Senator Katie Brit was not able to make it in time due to overnight Senate votes.

During the discussion, Tuberville doubled dow on his support for data centers.

They don't come in and just put them up.

You're going to make money You're going to make tax money.

You're going to pay your law enforcement more.

You're going to be a pay your teachers more.

You're going to be able to build things that you've never been able to build.

Did y'all talk about that?

Well, we didn't hear about that.

Well before you start voting on stuff you need like a little bit.

His Democratic opponent for governor, Doug Jones, has taken the opposite stance, calling for a moratorium on the massive facilities.

Tuberville also reflected on his time in the Senate as he leaves the chamber next year.

Your responsible for trying to help everybod that lives within your borders.

So, I hope people will think that, I did a good job.

I made mistakes, there's no doubt about that.

But I think that with that staff I had with Senator Shelby.

And then when Katie coming in and learning from her, I think that, I think we passed the test.

The House will return to Washington at the end of the month, and senator will reconvene in mid-September.

Reporting in point.

Clear.

Alex.

Angle, Capitol Journal.

Thank you.

Alex.

One mainstay of BCA conferences is the presence of Governor Kay Ivey.

She spoke this year, reflecting on her ten years as governor and shared some memories from BCA conferences.

Here are some of those thoughts.

The BCA high stepper has arrived.

You know, it's hard to believe it's been nearly a decade since I first addressed this group as governor.

And after all these years attending and speaking at this conference.

It certainl is a little bittersweet today.

But, y'all, I'm excited and optimistic about the future of Alabama.

I'll put it in these terms.

Alabama is in a winning season.

I'm proud of that.

The administration has a seat at the table for everyone.

Big companies, small business owners, health care leaders, teachers, manufacturers.

And yes, even you Democrats.

I challenge everyone here to continue finding areas you can work together on, even when you might disagree and others.

And I challenge the legislature to keep your eye on the ball.

Renew our economic incentives and finish those efforts which you started.

Most of the legislature is here in point clear for the BCA conference.

Randy Scott caught up with several lawmakers to get their thoughts.

Leave it to the Business Council of Alabama to get the state's leadership, Republican and Democrat to the coast during the summer.

It's not all fun and games.

This event is designed to have dialog about what's on the mind of Alabamians, s this coverage is very well done.

I will say that it's very high intensity.

It's fast and there's so many people here and there's a lot of networking that happens.

But also the fact that we get to listen to the power players that show up for this tells me that the business in Alabama matters.

I've been coming for year now, and I really enjoy coming, because it really gives you a good outlet to deal with business and the realities of where we are in Alabama, and then the opportunity to mix with our business community while we've got time to pause and listen.

It's important to come here so that we can learn about some objective and some goals that we have for the new quadrennial.

We've been a very interesting, informative conference here.

We've heard from our congressional delegation, we heard from potential gubernatorial candidates.

And we've most importantly, we heard from our current governor, Governor Kay Ivey.

She gave some great comment about the state of the economy here in Alabama.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle of the Alabama House say a change of scenery is good for the working mind, because work is what they have to look forward to.

For the people of Alabama working on business, working on health care and education.

Those who are in attendance at this BCA conference say they have a lot of work to do.

According to House members, there are many more items they want to talk about, including the economy.

It's our workforce.

You know, we're doing a great great job of bringing business and industry here, but we're doing a better job of giving them the workforce that they need.

So we're going to have to really put some serious effort.

The governor has already started the Office of Workforce Development, but we're going to have to really put some serious efforts together, especially as it relates along this black belt.

I like when I hear that we're bringing manufacturing back to this country and especially to this state.

I think over the last four years, we have really set the table to enable a busines to come and locate in this state and employ people to make good paying jobs.

And I've said it many times before that the most fre a person in a family can be is when they are gainfully employed.

Data centers in Alabama.

I'm hosting a meeting at my Southwest Mobile Chamber of Commerce.

I'm having Doctor David Gatti, who has spoken to legislators all across the country and in Canada.

I'm actually having him come down to Tillman's Corner, Alabama, and give a talk because it is a big issue as well as health care, because I think health care should be at the forefront.

You know, you have to determine whether you're going to pay your electric bill or bu your medicine from the pharmacy.

So I think health care should be at the forefront of all of our conversation.

The conversations continue and point clear.

Randy Scott, Capitol Journal.

Thank you.

Randy.

We'll take a quick brea and be back with House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter.

Stay with us.

Did you know that mobile played a crucial role in the American Revolution?

Located in the British colony of West Florida, losing control of this port later helped the Spanish take Pensacol and with it, the colony itself.

West Florida was an unofficia 14th colony, but remained loyal to Britain.

Fort Charlotte in Mobile was British stronghold in the area, but this was an attractive spot for France and its ally Spain due to mobile Bay and its proximity to New Orleans.

In January 1780, Bernard de Galvez, governor of Spanish Louisiana, sailed for mobile to attack the fort commanded by British Captain Elias Dunford.

The British were undermanne and ill equipped for the siege that took place over the coming weeks, as the Spanish army advanced during effort ordered his men to burn mobile.

The Spanish artillery breached the walls and the British surrendered.

The army retreated to Pensacola, leaving mobile controlled by Spain.

Welcome back to Capital Journal and our special on location coverage at the Business Council of Alabama's Governmental Affair conference here.

In Point Clear.

I'm pleased next to be joined by Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter.

Mr.

speaker, thanks for taking the time.

Absolutely.

It's good to be here.

Tom, it's been a great crowd.

I mean, it's really, going strong and glad to see people agai that we work with all the time.

So it certainly started off good.

Yeah, it sounds like it.

You know, outside of session, maybe this is probably the larges gathering of elected officials.

Cabinet officials, business leaders and all tha that you're ever going to find.

What do you and your members get out of attending the Business Council o Alabama's conference every year?

Yeah, I mean, I think it's something that, certainly we have to come together and kind of talk with each other and kind of network to see what we want to d going forward and get a chance to listen to what the business community across states do and how successful that Alabama's growing.

And certainly we've had a lot o success in the last few years.

And listening to those numbers and kind of understanding where we're at because some of the bills that we've passed, some legislation we've done, and then looking forward to se what we need to do better and, certainl bring in the business community into the fold and understanding what their needs are as important.

Well, yeah.

And it strikes me that the economic development paradigm, the model if you will, has really evolved over the last several years.

I mean, it's not the same as it was when Mercedes came to town and all that, including you all, have had to updat statutes, economic development statutes, including, a focus of the last couple of years on helping out the locals.

I'm thinking about the Seeds Act and stuff like that.

What is the feedback been from the local areas about how those laws ar impacting economic development?

I think it gives them opportunity for landing jobs.

I mean, you know, especially the Seeds Act, you know, we are able to use it, whether it's being infrastructure or if it's buying property, if it's putting a pay down for building a road in to the project, that particular piece of legislation has probably impacted rural Alabama more than anything that we've done.

So yeah, the locals are excited and every every year when we put out, that we're ready for those grant applications, Mason's number grants we get and the sees the success behind it.

I think that's what, you know, when you start working it on the front end, you kind of try to see it through the the legislatur and get to get to the governor's to ask to be signed.

And then once it's implemented and you're out in the state and you see different places, it's taking advantage of it and really doing a great job.

I mean, sometimes some of these communities, they just need a hand up.

They an I think some of the legislation that we've passed, whether it's with that particular bill, with the Seeds Ac or growing Alabama or whatever, I think that certainly has done that.

And I, we, had a meeting yesterday with Secretary, you know, here and she kind of gave us an idea of what was in the pipeline, what she was working on, I think over 200 different businesses looking at Alabama.

I mean, it's it's amazing.

And, you know, Alabama's growing at a pace we've never seen before in our lives.

So it's exciting.

And certainly I think the public private partnership that we have built over the last few years, is it Alabamians?

Well, talk about the workforc component because I know, y'all, that's been a real focus of yours saying, hey, we've got to figure out classroom to jobs, right?

I know y'all have done some work up in your neck of the woods as well.

Yeah, this went great.

I mean, we we started that that focus come out of actually a meeting here with the Alabama Growth Alliance.

And so it it's amazing how quick we've progress and we've put a plan together to make sure have business with students.

And knowing that they got a pipeline that's going to bring employees.

And I think I'm really excited.

And we've been able to put, facilities in locations that didn't have them.

And we got about 339 school system.

We only had about 80 systems, technical systems career, Texas, schools.

And the thing about that is, statistically, we're only seeing abou 36% of our kids go to college.

So they really needed the opportunit for a pathway to be successful.

And I thin that's really helped in there.

And I think it also will help us as far as continue to bring jobs again, because I've talked to various companies across the state, you know, whether Blue Origin last week and they were talking about, the career tech in that area, and Calhoun had been a feeder for them and how gracious they were.

And I actually had, happenstance meeting with Eli Lilly today.

And they told me, he said, we want to talk to you about what we need in career tech so we can bring those kids to our plant to put them to work.

Well, that's strong.

That's really strong.

That's interesting, I guess.

And a real, real time example.

Well, we only got a little bit of time left.

But you know here we are in August, it might seem like a long way away, but it'll be here before we know it.

Sessions coming.

It's going to be a brand new quadrennial.

We'll have a new governor.

We'll have a lot of new lawmakers.

You'll have a new state House, right?

Which I think we're all excited about.

Exactly.

But with the caveat being that it's still early.

What do you think that session might look like?

What are the areas of focus we can anticipate the legislature maybe getting into understanding it's still early.

Yeah.

Well, I mean, you know, we got to continue to work on crime.

I think that's a priority that we'll continue to work.

On your way.

Had a package your last.

We passed several bills ou and I think that was beneficial.

The magnitude has done a great job.

But I think we got to expand that a little bit.

So we'll probably be looking at that.

There's things we need to continue.

You know even though we've got started good and career tech, we got to continue that work and making sure that we ar serving the kids that need it.

We're going to continue to provide an education.

I think we've seen some numbers increase just this week.

Reading and arithmetic.

Certainly the bills that we passed has done a tremendous job.

And moving those two, courses forward and moving us up probably now where we're in the in the 30s as far as reading arithmetic.

So we'll continue to work on those things, as I'm sure, Governor Tuberville will come in with, some ideas of policies he wants to talk about and see and look forward to sitting down with him and kind of go through thos and see what we can help him do.

I know you're a, good friend of his, and.

Yeah.

Interesting, he said about education because I was speaking t a group of school board members and teachers and everything, and they're saying, yeah, these laws that were passed, you know, 2019, 2020, they're finally starting to cook, right?

They're they're starting to see the fruits of that.

And that's really encouraging.

So I'm, I'm interested to see how those laws become even more mature.

It is I think, you know, when the Nutrition Literacy Act, right.

And we, we, we need that tim frame for those kids to continue to move up grade wise to get them where they're tested in some of them in eighth grade, what we just got last week.

So I think next year you'r going to see a tremendous job.

You know, not just that I think those two bills had a lot to do with that.

The Raise act, we passed, i kind of flies under the radar, but I think it' one of the most important things legislation we did with funding and making sur that those priorities are right.

Yeah.

That's right.

And then, you know, the screen time doing away with cell phones in the in classrooms.

I can't tell you, the respons I've had from teachers and the, I had, one of the ladies in my local district, had visited the school and she told me, yeah, I don't believe this, but kids are actually talking in the lunchroom now.

You know, so it's it's amazing.

And I think all the combination of everything we, we've done, a we're a year or two away from seeing a real impact on that.

We've already seen it.

I mean, we've moved from the very bottom to the mid 30s, and I think we're going to move any further in in the next two years.

The interesting to watch.

Well, look, I'll let you get back to the conference.

Thanks for taking the time.

Thank you for being here tonight.

Enjoy it.

We'll be right back.

Alabama's Gulf Coast is renowned for its white sand beaches bordering the Gulf of Mexico.

It is an important part of the quality of life for many of the state' citizens, and one of the state's greatest economic and environmental assets.

The white, sandy beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Dauphin Island are popular vacation destinations for Alabamians and out-of-state tourists.

The fine quality of the san and gentleness of the surf make for some of the prettiest beaches in the world, and are the top tourist destination in the state.

Welcome back to Capital Journal and our special coverage of the Business Council of Alabama's Government Affairs conference here at the Grand Hotel.

And point Clear.

Now, I'm pleased to be joined by BCA CEO Helena Duncan and Chairman Mark Drew of Protective Life.

Thanks so much for coming on the show.

Thank you.

So pleasure one.

Congratulations.

Once again, you've pulled off a tremendous conference.

I think I heard it's a record attendance.

Absolutely.

We had about 875 applicants, participants this year.

Okay, that's that's a record.

That is a record.

Probably about 100 more than we had last year.

When I sat right here telling you it broken a record, right?

Well, everybody wants to be here.

Everybody wants to be involved.

It is the largest gathering.

I was telling the speakers at the largest gathering outside of Montgomery during the session of lawmakers policymakers, cabinet members, business leaders.

So talk about that.

Talk about the importance.

Why is it so important to have your members, your business leaders, also getting involved and being around members of the legislature, cabinet members, as policymaker here for a weekend, talk about why that's important fo the state that is so important.

First of all, I think everyone got a chance to see it was on display, the energy around Alabama.

And so with us being business counsel for Alabama, focusin on the climate of the business community, giving our members an opportunity to go straight to the source, to visit with these folks, for them to hear real issues so that we can start providing real solutions for them.

It is just a lot that goes into this weekend as we're preparing and we're thinking about members.

We're thinking about businesses, small and large, rural and urban Alabama.

And we're realizing the audience that we have.

And so when you put all that together, the details that go into thinking about every little question, every speech, every opportunity, every meeting, every dinner.

We we want that to be three days of opportunity to network with people that they would not normally get to see on any given day like we do.

And then just the get tired of hearing it from us.

So let's hear it.

Let's take it to the people, the ones that is that their decisions are truly impacting.

And so it's just so important.

We spend months, months, time thinking and planning about this conference, an it was a huge success this year.

Very proud.

Yeah, absolutely.

Well, as the chairman of the Business Council, talk about your involvement.

I'm thinking about Protective Life major Corporation there in Birmingham.

I mean, why is it so important fo companies like yours and others, to be involved and to invest in BCA and to get involved in public policy?

You know, Todd, our company's been aroun I think, now almost 120 years.

Birmingham based.

And we have a legacy of involvement in our community and in our state.

And that matters to us because of our employees and them having a great place to work.

It matters to us as far as attracting businesses to the state, which just improves everyone's lot.

And BCA is the unifying voice for all the businesses.

So we have a long legacy of our executive leadership being involved in BCA, and it's just been a huge benefit to all of us.

It's a wa to make sure that our leaders, our public leaders, know what we care about.

And for us to help them get things done.

One of the things we heard today was, transition.

You know, becaus we're here in an election year, there's going to be a new governor.

There's going to be a lot of new lawmakers.

Brand new day, really, for the state.

Talk about that continuity and how BCA can play a role in providin that continuity understanding.

There's about to be a lot of change.

You know, I think BCA one, BCA has been doing this for a long time.

BCA has all of these relationships.

Hele and her staff do a fabulous job of having relationships with all of our legislators.

Governor's office, federal level.

They know us.

They listen to us.

We know what they care about in this transition.

There's a time where all these new people that are going to be moving into offic are looking to hear what it is that works and what we need to work on.

So I think BCA plays a critical role.

So you all not only get involved electorall because I know you get involved politically and everything, but then you've got to when the new legislature comes to town.

You know, build those relationships.

Absolutely.

Relationships as it as, you know.

Alabama has got a huge momentum going right now.

And that has com from our public private sectors working together.

And hopefully today, everybody had an opportunity to see how much work has gone int making Alabama what it is today.

We heard four companies up there talking about they chose us.

300 applicants that they could have gon anywhere in the United States.

They chose us and it was because we work together, because we, our public private groups are there because we are friendly, you know, because we make it happe because we had land available.

Those things are not accidental.

And so that is years of preparation.

As Mark said, we've been at this for years.

This is years of preparation.

Many bills that have been passed to create this environment for Alabama.

We're startin to see the fruit of our labor.

So what's happening now with the new administration?

And I think everybody's a little heightened, but hopefully they're they're seeing because they are asking questions.

They are trying to understan where we are, what we're doing.

The momentum is, is, is is very good.

It's positive.

It' moving in the right direction.

New leadership.

Just come in and help us continue to push this down the road.

And we're excited about that.

It's interesting.

I was talking to the speaker just a minute ago, and he mentioned that one of the one of his main things, workforce development and career tech and all that.

He said it was born out of this conference, out of conversations, you know, nothing on the agenda or something, just a conversation saying, hey, we've got to get going on career tech and, you know, get that from the classroom, you know, to the job site and all that.

Kind of organically.

So can this conference kind of be a catalys for organic ideas and changes?

Oh, absolutely.

Absolutely.

It can.

It's so many meetings and conversations and groups and opportunities fo those conversations to be had.

And I thin what's borne out of this is that for me, what I felt wa the energy of working together and making Alabama better, whether it's whether it is career tech, I think we're all committed to that.

Whether it' taking care of our rural Alabama and seeing how we can d revitalization there, is it our, you know, technology areas?

Is that what we can do?

And just understandin what the people of Alabama want, which is that's what this is for.

To understand what Alabama people want and then what can we do as Business Council of Alabama elected officials and all of our support around us?

What can we do to mak those things come to fruition?

Mark, talk about the team nature of recruiting.

We we had the conversation about recruiting right.

We had Paul Finebaum and everything.

Because you think about business sometimes is competitive right.

It's it's it's a competitive environment.

But it seems to me that I heard a lo about teamwork when it comes to, you know, a rising tide lift all boats and things like that.

So how does that work in terms of, economic development and recruiting, from your perspective?

From our perspective?

You know, I think you're right.

You know, rising tide lifts all boats.

If if we can attract new businesses that are going to provide additional jobs, even if they're in our own industry, that's good for everyone and long term.

And Elena's team and the legislature and the governor's offic all do a great job of working on attracting new businesses.

But we found that business owners or big companies, let's say an Eli Lilly, when they start looking at states, they want to hear from other big companies and they want to kno what is the atmosphere like the how is your relationship with the legislature?

Do they listen to you?

How how do we work with local government?

And that really is to everyone's benefit.

It just it the more an industry we can attract and the more jobs we can attract to the state, the better it will be for all of us.

Well, you've got some homegrown companies, all around.

And everybody was very excited to see the Sister Schubert announcement.

We're getting to the sausage rolls, but.

Right.

So.

We spent months planning this event, but it will now be known as the Sister Schubert Sausage Roll Conference.

And announcement.

When y'all were coming up, my word, the second I know, I know, it was really.

But that is a fine example of a company who invested in a rural Alabama company, decided to leave it here.

And just last yea we were visiting with him in DC, and he said that they when they bought Sister Schubert, they totally underestimated the importance of those sausage rolls at the tailgate.

That's right.

You're right.

And so he said, we've got to get back.

We've got to figure this out.

And so we were very proud to announce to our team.

And he was the only standing ovation.

Oh, more I was about to say yes.

Crowd said it all.

Okay.

This is just in time for football.

We know what's important to our Alabama.

Yes, and that's us sausage roll.

So we and they I also got to sample though.

That's right.

Yeah.

Right.

Sout Alabama company.

That's right.

Well look again congratulations on another another great conference.

Thanks for letting us be a part of it and highlight, the good things happening here.

Mr.

chairman, thank you for your service.

I guess you're coming off now.

My pleasure.

Absolutely.

Well.

Thanks again.

Well, he has a couple mor events.

Don't release them yet.

Yeah, well, we'll follow her.

That's right.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Todd.

We'll be right back.

You can watch past episodes of Capital Journal online anytime at Alabama Public Television's website.

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You're watching Alabama Public Television.

And you.

And welcome back to Capital Journal and our special coverage of the Business Council of Alabama's Government Affairs conference here at the Grand Hotel.

I'm pleased now to be joined by State Senator Garlan Gudger, presiden pro tem of the Alabama Senate.

Mr.

Pro-Tem thanks for coming on the show.

Thanks for having me.

It's always fun and I appreciate you always making a special place for us.

Our while we're at the BCA conference.

Right.

Well, how's your conference been?

Oh, it's been good.

You know, that part of the conference is just reconnecting with everyone you haven't seen in a little while.

Sometimes, hopefully having a little bit of family to come with us.

Just so they can support us and see what we go through when we're all together.

But listening from the ideas from the governor's office to the business leaders to BCA and all of their chairmen to say, hey, this is what's coming in the future.

This is where we're going.

How can we keep working together?

So it's been good.

So this is the off season, if you will, right?

Well, you know, during session that four months out of the year.

We know y'all are in Montgomery.

You're there every day working pretty hard.

But there's an off season.

And there may be kind of a misunderstanding that y'all just kind of go on vacation or something.

What happens during the off season to, I guess, to prepare for the next one?

I think it's a great question, because most people see us in that four months o just grinding it out every day.

By the time we get through, we're ready to go home and take a break.

But in the off season, we still have lots, right?

This is a part time job, even though it's really full time for me and the speaker.

But we still I own a small business.

I have two boys that I'm still, really engaged in their life.

And both of them are in college now, so we're empty nesters for the first year or so.

My wife and I've been able to travel a little bit more.

We're able to do some project that we want to do at my store.

At the same point, I still try to travel and be with my sons as much as possible.

So not only do we have a normal life as far as a family but we have to still pay bills like everyone else and still have to go to work every day and put our boots on and get get going.

But it's still a calls, emails, people needing something from you every day.

So there's a balance.

And that's the hard part I think about this job is balancing the political life.

Even when you're out of session with your regular life, that you've got to pay bills and take care of your family.

All right.

Well, here at BCA, there's a lot of policy ideas going around.

But obviousl this session is coming, right?

It'll be here before we know it.

So I know it's early but what can we look forward to?

What do you think about legislative priorities going into 2027?

Oh, well, first, before we even get to legislative priorities, I think that there is just a kind of a buzz of this whole, conference.

You know we have this excitement, right?

You have a new governor, even though our governo that is leaving us, Governor Kay Ivey, he's done such a great job and very steady for everyone throughout the whole state for the last ten years.

But it's going to b a new administration coming in.

You've got a new governor, new lieutenant governor, new cabinet members all the way throughout.

We've got a new AG right here that's going to be coming in.

You've got a new, two new PSC, guys that have already been hired.

You're going to have been elected.

You've got, the agricultural commissioner coming.

And so it's going to b a whole new face for a new day of state government.

And how that works are really the only two staples that are going to be, really stable is the legislature, which is the speaker and myself and our, our bodies, even though we have some people rotating out, whether they've retired or have gotten beat, we've got new faces coming in, but we're stil and probably the lowest number we've ever had on turnover in both of our houses.

So the Leadbitter and I are both staying as close as we can to each othe to make sure that we stay tight, because we're really going to be a driving force of what we do want to pas and what we don't want to pass, because we hear there's a lo of different agendas out there.

But the key is it still ha to get through the legislature.

So us staying close and effective as we move through these policy changes, will be crucial for the state of Alabama.

Well, yeah.

You talk about stability.

You know, I think that kind of has defined partly, Governor Ivey's tenure.

You know, she came i and steadied the ship of state, if you will because there was so much tumult between the previous governor you had, you know, Chief Justice get, kicked out of office.

The speaker and all that.

And so there's there's been a steady sense of state government for the last ten years or so.

How important is it for y'all as a legislature as you as you just said, like the steady part of state government to keep that balance going?

Understand, there are so many, so many new faces coming.

I think there's a lot of new faces coming, but a lot of the old faces as well.

Remember politics in Alabama where there were scandals, where there was negative connotations to be an elected official?

I think for the last ten years we've been steady with with her leadership and then with the legislature that we've had, we've stayed on a steady course of making sur that we've gotten back on track, that we're making progress and that we're having a vision for the future as we all work together.

And I think you heard that today as we were in the conference, from the business leaders themselves, from Mercedes and Eli Lilly, and then als from the congressional district, all seven of the congressional members said, you know, we work together, we cross aisles, we try to make whatever's best for Alabama.

Now we're talking about social issues.

That's different.

We're going to disagree.

But at the same point, we'r trying to make Alabama better.

And the key for us is making sure that your viewers and my constituents and everyon in the state of Alabama realizes we're all going to have differences, but that's not any reason to disqualify our being a friend of somebody or talking to them.

The key for us is continuin that process of being a friend and trying to understand where they're coming from, so that we can make better decisions so that Alabama continues to make progress.

And when we do that, and not only cross the aisles or cross over particular issues or policies, we're making a stronger relationship as we move forward together.

And so that's really what we're trying to do in the legislature is moving forward.

So you've got new faces that are coming in.

You mentioned we do have those, but I think that they are wide ope to listening to understanding.

And we've got some good guys, and girls in the hous and mainly guys in the, in the, in the Senate that are looking forward to being productive and making an impact as we move forward.

It's interesting you mentioned Washington because as much as our delegation is trying, you know, you look up ther and there's so much dysfunction.

There's just so I mean, they can't agree on a lunch menu, much less like a budget or something like that.

And I've we've talked before about, you know, we've in Alabama, we've had it pretty good.

Like a lot of that Partizan bickering.

That polarization hasn't really infected Montgomery.

Right.

How do we keep that going?

How do we keep what happened in Washington, that polarization to where it's just sclerotic at a certain point right from infecting Montgomery?

How do we keep that fro infecting Montgomery politics?

You know, there's one word that comes to mind and that's really communication.

If I don't understand something in the past, for example, I didn't understand some, some social issues that one of my colleagues that lived in Selma when I first came into Senate, I didn't understand where she was coming from and what she was, what she was thinking.

So I said, let's go have lunch.

Not only that, we have lunch, but then we formed a relationship and I was end up speaking, in her district at a particular luncheon that no one that's Republicans ever spoke up before.

I brought her to Cullman, Alabama, and let her spea at one of my district functions that no Democrats ever spoke at before.

And so it was one of those things where you start building these relationships.

But by going into her district, understanding the people that she was having to represent and what they were saying, it opened my eyes to saying what I'm doing in my district, and I think it's for the whole state, really has unintended consequences where she is.

And so we work together on making a bill that was good for both of us, and it was a win win that we continue to merge our ideas together into that legislation and made it work.

Now, having said that, I think communication, as we keep that mentality of what's happening in Washington, out of the state government, there's a lot of new, fresh starts for everybody.

Like we said, we have all new people coming in the state government, but also we have the new state House that we're having to move to, and there's going to be a whole new, a puzzle that we're going to have to solve just on the functioning of day to day operations.

The key is, is making sure that we communicate, we understand what's going on on the other districts and als what's going on in their life.

You know, as we heard today, we had Terri.

So we'll talk about her mothe and she had pancreatic cancer.

If you didn't know that, you didn't understand why that was so important to her.

And if there was somethin you could do to help that out, that helps build relationships.

And obviously, she did a great job of doing that and going bipartisan across the aisle.

We need to be doing the same thing in Alabama.

And we hav we just need to keep it going.

And I think with the right leadership with Speaker Ledbetter, and I'm kind of leading the charge for both chambers, I think we're going to be abl to have that in the legislature.

Well, the new state House is going to be, I think, a breath of fresh air.

I'm really excited to see, like, what kind of vibe exists in that new building.

Nobody's ever set foot in there, right?

You're going to, you know, y'all gavel in, it'll be brand new.

But also for the public to b able to access the state House, the people's House.

Right.

In a new way, in a mor accessible way than ever before.

How exciting is that for you all you and and your members.

And I think it's very exciting for everyone.

I think you might have had or 2 guys talked about retiring, but they weren't going to until they served in this new state House.

And part of that is because of the excitement of it.

But the particular house is 460,000ft, and it's somethin that the people can be proud of.

For the first time.

And as you well know, busses come up onto in front of the state House that we currently have, you walk in and it's just hideous.

As soon as you walk in and you're not very proud of your state by walking in, you go to Virginia, you go to Colorado.

And it is the the epitome of architecture.

When you're walking i with a giant dome and everything that's there and you feel like this is really nice, we have never had that because originally it was built in 1963, I believe, further along it.

And then we just moved into it, having a home for the legislature, for the people of Alabama to be able to come and not only do educational trips for the children that come through there every week, but for ourselves when we're there and constituents to come and see what we do.

I think everyone feels lik almost like a community pride.

Like you're proud of your hometown team.

Yeah.

We're going to be proud no more than we've ever been to be.

That hometown team is now the state of Alabama.

And so I think both sides of the aisle are excited about the future, of how being housed in the new state House.

I agree, and we're hard at work getting our studio prepared because we're going to be there in the basement.

As always, Senator, thanks so much.

We're out of time, but thank for taking the time here at VCA.

Always a pleasure.

Thanks for having me.

We'll see you back in Montgomery.

Yes, sir.

We'll be right back.

Did you know that over 700 revolutionar soldiers are buried in Alabama?

Even though Alabama wouldn't become a state until 36 years after the end of the American Revolution?

More than 1000 veterans lived some portion of their postwar life in Alabama, while some soldiers arrived in the state before its inclusion into the Union.

Many rush to Alabam during the height of a migration called Alabama Fever.

Alabama veterans were often young and of low rank during the war.

Still, many came from all walks of life.

Some notable Alabamians who moved south after the war were future governors William Wyatt Bibb and Thomas Bibb, whose father had served as a captain in the revolutionary Army.

Among the revolutionar veterans were three black men, Frederick Gowan and Jim Capers, as well as women Mary Witherspoon Conyers and Elizabeth Duckett Casey.

Over 90% of Alabama based veterans were born in one of the 13 Colonies before American independence.

Welcome back to Capital Journal and our special on location coverage here at the Business Council of Alabama's Government Affairs conference.

A point clear.

I'm pleased to be joined nex by Congressman Robert Aderholt.

Congressman thanks for coming on the show.

Well, Todd, great to be with you and good to be back with you.

And, after, I think we will sit down here about a year ago and chatted and, it's good to be back.

That's right.

Well, I got a lot of questions.

You had a great discussion on the federal panel.

But you are the dean of the delegation.

You're a lead appropriator there in the house.

So I'm curious what you have to say about the state of play in Congress specifically where it comes to the budget, the appropriations process.

Yeah.

Well, as you mentioned, I serve on the Appropriations Committee, and I was fortunate enough to get elected, right after I got elected to be, appointed to the Appropriations Committee.

So, I've able have been able to rack up a several years of seniorit on the Appropriations Committee, but it is a, you know, those the there's 12 appropriation bills.

We break it down because it funds the entire federal government.

And, when you're talking over a budget, over, well, over, you know what, $1.2 trillion, you're you're talking, you have to bring it down in segments.

And so the 12 bills or, fund the every facet of the federal government, every department agency and every program, now, not accounting, Social Security, Medicare, those are mandatory.

Those are mandatory.

But as far as the discretionary piece of the puzzle, it' all comes out of appropriation.

And we have to pas those Appropriations committee, appropriation bills out of the committee, because obviously, we work on a October 1st, October 1st year.

It's not a calendar year, but it's the fiscal year.

And if October 1st rolls around and we have not passed those 12 appropriation bills, then the federal government cannot operate.

And that's where shutdowns come in.

That's where the shutdowns come in.

And, now there are, what we do because there's been has been several year now that we have not been able to all agree on everything by October 1st.

So what we do is we do a stopgap measure for like a bridge for like 30 days or 60 days.

And, that's how wait until we can get the final details of those 12 appropriation bills out.

Now, this year as election year.

So, as you know, we're divided in the House as close as I've ever.

We have, like, some days it's, 1 or 2 votes difference because you obviously might have a, a absence or whatever, but, usually every vote comes down to 1 or 2 votes on everything that we vote.

That's out of 435 members.

So we have to, we know tha October 1st is going to be here.

That's, a month or so before the election.

And it's it's probably going to be a very, highly, political time at that.

So we're trying to go ahea and pass a continuing resolution that stopgap measure now, as opposed to waiting till the 11th hour and having a shutdown.

So continue like, current spending levels just continue, continue in the current spending levels, everything will just go current until we can pass the appropriation bill.

So no new no new, start everything.

Just continuing the funding under the prior year, amount.

And, that will keep the doors open, keeping all the agencies being able to fully operate.

But, you know, once that funding is out, then we have to hav that appropriation bills pass.

And so, what I think probably will happen before we left, a couple of weeks ago, the House of Representatives, we passed the this stopgap measure of till early Decembe to put it passed the election.

The Senate just last night passed their version of it.

And so then we will come back.

So we've both the houses that House and Senate have both passed those legislation.

So I think we're in a good shape as far as not having a shutdown, because nobody wants to go through a shutdown.

That is very painful.

And, just, just a lot of problems, you know, from airports to our military.

It's it's, it's it's a real problem.

So we're are going to, I think pass an appropriation bill, stopping stopgap measure and making sur that when we leave for October and everybody goes home and campaigns, then we will, have we don' have to worry about a shutdown.

So that's that's the goal of it.

Well, that's a relief.

Yeah.

I think well, everybody, you know, remember those long lines at the airport and all?

I mean, not I know everybody doesn't fly, but that's probably most people get they get very frustrated when the TSA agents are not on the job, but also security concerns.

I mean, you know, well, you know, that's, that's a very big conservative control.

Yes.

So, well, it's interesting you mentioned, this because you talked about how close i was, just a razor thin margin.

Right.

If if, if a couple of members are out sick, you know, and, and it's not like that and people get sick and, you know, I mean, obviously, if you're running a fever and, and, you know, you're, not not, you know, s sick you can't get out of bed.

You know, it's hard to go vote.

So.

Right.

And so that stops legislation.

So it strikes me, because you've seen Congress when it was a lot more productive.

You know, I'm thinking late 90s, early 2000s, that kind of thing.

Regular order.

And you've also seen Congress really more in the, modern era where it' pretty dysfunctional, you know, hard to really get thing through with that perspective.

How do we get back to tha productivity, that regular order where things aren't just kind of dysfunctional and breakdown?

I've thought about this a lot, and I think one of the things that, has contributed to that is that, you know, going back even back in the 2000s, you did not have social media, where we are today.

And, there is a certain segment of Congress, on the Democrat and Republican side.

This is I'm not saying this from a Partizan era, standpoint, but there are certain segments, of our, colleagues on both sides of the aisl that will want to, grandstand.

And they make it very difficult for us to try to get, legislation through.

They will take, you know, something that there's a thread of truth in it, and they will make it sound like, you know, whatever legislation is a is is terrible.

And, and, they want to get airtime and therefore it makes i difficult for us to try it.

Now.

No, I'm not saying that we we've got to make sure that we we stand strong and we've got to stand by your principles.

But at the end of the day, you had to figure out something to move forward.

And I never like to use the word compromise, but on legislation like that you have to find common ground.

And that's just the nature of what our founding fathers set up.

That's not.

And so.

Well, sure, added government, when you have a divided government, you know you can't have it both ways and you can't.

So you had to figure out a way where it's not a a win lose situation for somebody, but it's a win win.

And and so I think that's what we're missing now.

And unfortunately we have the national news media that feed into thi that we want to try to stir up, controversy among our, colleagues.

They, and some of our colleagues buy right into it.

And, they jus don't want to work with anybody.

And and that's makes it very difficult.

Again, I think w everybody has to stand strong.

I mean, I stand very strong on the principles that I believe in, but at the end of the day, you have to come to some conclusion to say, let's try to save what you mad halfway and find common ground.

Interesting You say, that's what you know.

The social media hit is more important than the bill passing or something.

Oh sure, now there's some of it.

They'd rather get a media hit to the head of the legislation pass, even if even if it hurts somebody.

And I've also heard I mean, you know, it's been years ago since I was up there that there's like, I'll like members will have a ton more com staff now than they do, you know, legislative staff or something like that.

Yeah.

Because you get so many requests right now.

So and, and having to do, your Facebook page and, you know, the, other types of social media people want to know what's going on.

We'll talk about this conference here.

You know, you're the whole delegation is here, but most of the legislatures here to the cabinet, the governor, new members, prospective members of the legislature talk about, from your perspective of how important it i for events like this to connect with those state leader as state lawmakers, to kind of, I don't know, connect and understand what's important on the state level so that you can, you know, take that back to Washington.

Yeah.

Well, you know, I'm in I'm in north Alabama.

My area is, north of Birmingham.

And so I, you know, I don't get to Montgomery on a regular basis.

And so when I'm back from Washington, I'm not traveling because it's from my home, from high level up in Washington County.

It is a good solid three hours to Montgomery.

And so once I come in from Washington, you know, I would be going in the opposite direction of my congressional district if I went to Montgomery.

So I'm just not down there.

So, of course, my legislators that are live in the congressional, live in the congressional district.

I stay in contact with them.

But what I like about thi conference is coming down here, and you've got the legislators from all over the state.

So, I was just talking to a I'm a member of the state legislature from, Houston County down in Dothan.

You know, that's not anywhere close to my area.

But, you know, chatting wit and finding out what's going on in that part of the state, even that's in the further south, eastern part of the state.

You know, I it's it's good to get a fee for what's going on statewide.

And so that's wh I'm having this conference here with the governmental affairs conference bringing everybody together.

And, you know, the governor spoke this mornin and, getting to hear from her.

And so that's been, you know, like I said, I think it's important that we work with our legislative delegation in Montgomery and, it's opportunities like this that we get to compare notes.

Look, we're out of time.

Thanks so much for your time.

And we'll look forward to seeing you back.

Thanks, Todd.

Always good to be with you.

We'll be right back.

You can watch past episodes of Capital Journal online anytime at Alabama Public Television's website.

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And that's a wrap from here i point clear at the Grand Hotel.

A specia thanks to the Business Council of Alabama for again, allowin Capital Journal special access to this year's conference for our Capital Journal team.

I'm Todd Stacey.

We'll see you next time.

You know.

You.