From ou statehouse studio in Montgomery.

I'm Todd Stacey, welcome to Capitol Journal.

There's good news to share on the education front.

Alabama's public school students showed improvement on three key measures of academic success.

That's according to data released this week by the state Department of Education.

There were gains made in third grade reading, high school graduation rates and colleg and career readiness indicators.

Alabama's graduation rate for the 2024 school year was 92%, an all time high.

That measures the percentage of students who complete their high school diploma within four years.

But an increasingly important metric is the college and career readiness rate.

That's the percentage of students who show evidence of being ready to begin a career or go to college after high school.

That rate rose to 88% for 2024.

The highest ever measured.

Now to the reading scores.

88.4% of Alabama third graders are reading sufficiently to be promoted to the fourth grade.

That means that just under 6500 students are at risk of being held back.

Those students parents have been notified by the Department of Education and and encouraged to attend a summer reading camp in order to test again.

In hopes of that they can be promoted to the fourth grade.

This is part of the Alabama Literacy Act, passed back in 2019 to ensure that students are reading at grade level by the third grade.

And I'll talk with State Superintendent Eric Mackey about these numbers in more detail later in the show.

Another candidate announcement this week as the 2026 election cycle continues to heat up.

Catherine Robertson officially launched her bid for Attorney General of Alabama on Tuesday.

Robertson currently serve as the chief counsel to Attorney General Steve Marshall, a job she has held since 2017.

She's also worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and served as legislative counsel to Senator to former U.S.

Senator Jeff Sessions.

Marshall himself attended the announcement and offered Robertson his full endorsement.

Here in the Capitol complex, we've been watching in real time as the new statehouse has been taking shape.

It's an exciting project as the legislature awaits its new permanent home.

The House and Senate have been meeting here in the current state House since 1985, but it was always meant to be a temporary facility.

Capitol Journal's Jef Sanders has an exclusive update from the Secretary of the Senate, Pat Harris.

After two years of steady progress, Alabama's new state House is entering its next phase, with construction shifting mostly indoors.

Well, the best thing about it is that we're on schedule and we feel really good about where we are.

So they're framing up some of the offices and the committee rooms.

Secretary of the Senate Pat Harris is one of the key leaders behind the new construction project.

He says everything should be finished ahead of the 2027 organizational session.

The building itself.

The construction will be completed prior to that time so that we can start moving furnitur and construct our voting boards, the electronics that we need, all the art stuff that needs to be in so that it'll be in tested and functioning by the time we start of the organizational session in 27.

Staff could start moving in as early as late next year, depending on whether a special session is called.

Hopefully we will start moving the staff prior to January because this building has to come down, and so we'll have to have some place for those people to go.

And when it comes to tearing down the current stat House, Harris doesn't hold back.

Couldn't come down quick enough.

As far as I'm concerned.

But it will probably.

You're looking to August.

September, of, 26.

Built in 1963 as the Highway Department headquarters.

The current state house holds more than just lawmakers.

Well, this buildin that we're currently in houses all the heating and air conditioning units for the current state capitol, the capitol building.

We have to move all that equipment and put in new equipment for that all to function in the state capitol.

Some of that will be in that tunnel area.

That equipment will go in there.

The new facility will also include a two level parking deck.

And for the first time, safe bus access for schools and visitors.

As for furniture, Harris says most of what's in the current building will go to state surplus auction, but some will make the move.

We're going to take our current desk on our Senate floor.

Those were redone and handmade in, 2017.

The House will be ne because they'll have new desk.

Their chamber is a lot larger than it is now.

The columns will not be there, so they'll be able to have a clear view of everybody that's in there working.

And for the first time, every committee room and floo session will be streamed live.

Part of a broader push for transparency.

Harris, who has worked for the legislature for decades, says the project is about more than new walls of a more functional building for both schoolchildren.

For tourists, people that come through the functionality of the public being able to take part in the legislative branch of government.

But it's a building that we won't last.

Just like the old state Capitol for 50 to 100 years.

The new state House is being funded by a lease to own agreement with the retirement systems of Alabama.

And while the move to the new place will take place in 2027, don't forget there is one more session scheduled here in the current state House for next year.

Reporting in Montgomery.

I'm Jeff Sanders for Capitol Journal.

Thank you Jeff.

State leaders gathered this week for a ceremonial bill signing for the Saf Alabama package of legislation.

Prioritize by Governor Kay Ivey and legislative leaders.

Among the bills no signed into law include the back the Blue police immunity plan a ban on machine gun conversion devices, investments in the metro area, crime suppression units, and measures to address the rise in violent crime from juveniles.

Every state in the nation is facing increasing public safety challenges, and unfortunately, our state is not a mean.

But thanks to our work together on Safe Alabama we are doing something about it.

Speaker led Battle Pro Tem Goodyear, fellow lawmakers and all of you standing her today, thank you for your work and passion in this important public safety legislation.

Alabama is sending a clear signal to law enforcement that we have their backs The former head of the Alabam Department of Veterans Affairs has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Governor Kay Ivey of wrongful termination and defamation last year.

State VA Commissioner Kent Davis was fired by Ivey after a lengthy and messy interagency dispute that arose from his department's attempted use of federal Covid relief funds.

The governor and the state finance office accused Davis of failing to cooperate with he office and other agency heads, and attempting to inappropriately allocate federal grant money.

Davis previously filed an ethics complaint against Department of Mental Health Commissione Kim Boswell and several others.

That complaint was dismissed by the Ethics Commission, and Davis inferred that his firing was a result of that complaint, which he says he was compelled to file.

We think it's pretty clear that she did no have the authority to fire him.

He did not work for the pleasure of the governor.

She did not hire him.

The law was pretty clea that he was hired by the state Board of Veteran Affairs, and could only be terminated by the state Board of Ed, Internal Affairs, and only for cause as commissioner of Veterans Affairs.

Nothing but good reports from the state Board of Veterans Affairs.

My bosses, they had given me a second four year term.

No complaints about the performance of the department and the commissioner's role.

And then all of a sudden, this comes up a week after the Ethics Commission dismisses an ethics complaint.

A spokeswoman for Ivey said the governor is not concerned about the lawsuit and that her office is, quote, extremely confident Governor Ivey's necessary actions will stand any court test there may be in, quote.

Turning to Washington, where the U.S. House of Representatives this week took up and narrowly passed a rescission package.

A rescission is action taken to claw back already appropriated funding, in this case for foreign aid and public broadcasting.

Alex Angle reports from Capitol Hill about the situation as the bill heads to the Senate.

Alabama's Republican lawmakers supported the White House's efforts to claw back $9.4 billion in funding for foreign aid and public media, all in an effort to make the DOJ's cuts permanent.

Democrat stood united against the measure in a vote on Thursday.

The bill is passed with a two vote margin and a couple of Republicans switching their votes on the floor.

The House passed the request to claw back mone that Congress already approved.

Congressman Dale strong was fully behind it.

This is what you've got to do when you've got a $36 trillion debt.

This country has got off the hook, spent money in places it shouldn't have been spent.

$8.3 billion will be cut from foreign aid, including slashing the president' emergency plan for Aids relief.

$1.1 billion will be cut from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that funds PBS and NPR.

Alabama Public Television receives trickle down funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

As the bill came throug the Rules Committee this week, Congressman Robert Aderholt argued for preserving funding for APT.

I would think we'd want to keep we'd want to keep the media watchdogs here in Washington.

And I can't imagine it cutting Alabama public television.

I would love to work to get fundin for Alabama Public Television, because it has not been subject to these woke policies that some of the other states have.

And therefore, we can work together on this.

Aderholt says it's unfortunate APT got swept up with all the other state in the package to rescind funds.

Alabama's two Democrats joined the rest of their conference to oppose the bill.

Congresswoman Terry Sewell say in a statement, in part, quote, their latest bill Defunds, PBS and NPR, threatening educational programing for our children, as well as independent journalism, local sports coverag and emergency alerts and quote.

But Republicans don't want to stop at just clawing back the money once.

Congressman Barry Moore say he hopes to see more rescission bills come to the floor.

It's much needed.

I'm glad we finally go the first package and I'm sure will be more down the road.

The bill is now sent to the Senate.

Congress has to act within 45 days from June 3rd.

The day Trump sent the bil to Congress in order to pass it.

Reporting on Capitol Hill, Alex Engle, Capital Journal.

Thank you.

Alex.

The threat of funding cuts is also impacting many state and federal agencies, including the National Weather Service.

With hurricane season now upon, US, Capitol Journal's Randy Scott reports on how that agency is weathering the storm to complete its mission of keeping people safe.

And interesting summer weather wise.

According to the National Oceani and Atmospheric Administration, regarding the weather reports have appeared in media raising concerns about possible budget cuts from Washington, D.C., affecting the agency.

Staff with the National Weather Service say they remain up to mystic and will continue to do their jobs.

Weather affects everybod every day, whether you know it or not.

Warning coordination Meteorologist John The Block says summer for many people, means vacation time before the National Weather Service.

There's much work to do watching out for everybody's protection of life and property here.

We like to hopefully enhance everybody's life, help give you the information so tha you can make good decisions on whether to cancel your plans, move them indoors, keep your family safe.

Those are the things that we do.

Weather is watching for hurricanes in South Alabama or monitoring severe weather in central Alabama.

Meteorologist say they have a full plate of things to do, but the number one priority is keeping people saf and educated about the weather.

That plate of things to watch out for includes hurricanes.

We have the National Hurricane Center.

Which issues?

You know, they are hurricane experts and we rely on the to provide us with information, to relay on to our partners and to apply their expertise to the impacts that we see here locally.

Tornadoes, if it hits your house, it doesn't matter whether it's March, April June, July, August, September.

A tornado is obviously a ver powerful destructive phenomenon that has the potential to hurt and potentially cause fatalities.

We want everybod to take that threat seriously.

Flooding.

Do you live in a floodplain?

Do you have flood insurance?

Do you have a place to go?

What's your, how many ways can you get out of town?

Being aware of those surroundings and what your options are in a cas of an excessive flood situation is going to be very important.

In that case, excessive heat.

We lose a lot of people every year with due to heat illnesses.

The impacts of heat on the elderly, especially the people with health problems.

Certainly, even if you're healthy, heat can become an issue very quickly.

Also, severe weather, including thunderstorms, lightning and hail.

I don't think we ever have to worry about having something to do.

Weather changes.

So, you know, our job is to protect lives and properties, and we will d whatever we can to do that here at the National Weather Service in Birmingham.

Randy Scott, Capital Journal.

Thank you.

Randy.

Before we get to our interview segment of the show, let us take a moment to introduce the new first dog of Alabama governor Ivey this week announced that her new dog, Huntley, a three year old female yellow Labrador retriever.

That's the happy dog right there.

And a happy governor.

Just weeks ago, Ivey lost her dog, Missy, and so it' nice to see her adopt a new pup.

The governor said in a statement that Huntley likes to do commands and tricks, loves playing in the yard there at the mansion and going to the lake.

She also said we may get the chance to see Huntley here in the Capitol complex on occasion.

And if that's the case, my dog Toby says he is ready to be friends and share treats here at the state House.

Just bring him on down.

We'll be right back.

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

aptv.org.

Click on the online video tab on the main page.

You can also connect with Capital Journal and link to past episodes o Capital Journal's Facebook page.

Welcome back to Capital Journal.

Do you want to be next is Doctor Eric McKee, state superintendent of education.

Doctor Mackey thanks for coming on the show.

Glad to be a part of the show today.

Well, you've got some big news this week.

Yeah.

Yeah, well.

Good news.

We've had great news this week.

I had, kind of tempted people.

And just around the edges a little bit and told our state board even, the few last week, I said, look, we're going out some really good things coming up there, some great things happening in our schools.

So we announced some big numbers.

Graduation rate, new graduatio rate out, a new college career readiness right out, and and third grade reading scores and all of those were trending upward.

Yeah.

I wanted to start with graduation rate and college and career ready rate.

Graduation rate?

92%.

Yeah.

An this is for the class of 2024.

That's right.

That's right.

And then college and career.

Ready?

Right.

Of 88%.

Right.

Explain the difference between those two metrics.

Sure.

So.

So you graduate, you earned a high school diploma.

Based on the the you know what you laid out in the law, you had to complete so many courses and, and and get ready to graduate high school.

One of the things that we, we started talking about, really maybe even the year before I became state superintendent and certainly, watch I became superintendent.

We really wanted to highlight the fact that we had this big gap.

We had, graduation rate at that time was in the upper 80s.

Now, as you said, it's just 92%, but but a lot of those students were graduating with no demonstration that they were ready for the next step in, in life.

So so we're actually about 70% of our students, demonstrated that they had either a college or career credential.

Some something that demonstrated they were ready to go on to college, go to work.

And we wanted to close that gap.

And we said, you know, we're going to have a strategic initiative to close the gap.

We asked the legislature fo some funds to to work on that.

The state board actually came along and said, you know, we're going to start in 26.

We're going to actually make it a requirement, right?

That they have to have a CCR to graduate high school to get the diploma.

And districts took us very seriously.

I've got to give a lot of credit to principal superintendents and local school boards who said, we're going to raise these rates.

And so we've gon from about 70% of our students to demonstrating proficiency, on college career readiness.

And I can talk a little more about what that means.

To now, 88%.

So the gap has gone from, you know, close to 20, 20%, down to only about 4% now.

And, and, and I believe we'll close that gap.

And we'll get to over 90% graduation rate and over 90% of them, college and career ready?

Yeah.

Let's go deeper, because what goes into that?

What goes into college and career ready?

In terms of yeah, closing that gap because 2026 mandates coming.

Yeah.

Is that essentially going to be the new graduation?

That'll be so that there will be a point where the graduation rate and CCR right match, because they have to match because we've said, you have to have it.

So what do we mean by CCR college career ready.

It's there are about nine ways they can demonstrate it.

The fastest growing is to ear college credit in high school.

So dual enrollment.

They can go to early college through, you either Auburn or one of our regional four year institutions.

They can go to a two year college, but they if they pass a college level course and demonstrate, obviously, then that they, they can do college level work, then then that is, automatic.

Also scorin a three on an AP exam, which is according to the College Board, college level work.

Having a what we call a college ready, score on the act, which A.C.T.

says that means you're you're almost guaranteed to to be ready for college work, to do well in college, if you score college.

Ready?

They there's some smaller things, like the Ivy program.

We don't have a lot of IB programs with.

I graduate from an Ivy program.

That obviously counts.

Now for what about those students who aren't going to college, right?

Well, they can earn a credential.

So that might be like a license, in welding.

Or you know, there's I mean, I don't I can't even think about them.

They're all okay.

Yeah, they're all kind of vocational career to career, credential that are recognized by industry, that if you you get this, you can go straight into work that we recognize.

And then, another one is being a career completer.

So let's say you're going into a program.

Some of the programs don't have credentials, but if you go into a, a sequence of career courses that ends with a capstone program, and you complete all those successfully, then that show that you're ready to go into a, maybe a craft, whether that be carpentry or electrician.

And so that is another way to demonstrate.

So we wanting to create a broa enough field that all students, whether they were going to law school or they were going to become an electrician, that they would have a wa to demonstrate their readiness for the military.

Right.

Military.

Yeah.

If they if, they're accepted in the military, military enlistment counts.

But we also want to make sure that everybody does have some plan, whether that's in a trade.

It's in, it's going to college, it's going to the military.

You know, when you leave high school, you need to have demonstrated that you're ready for the next step in life.

Now, they may change so somebody can come in, and I could they could say credential in welding.

And then they ge to the end of the senior year.

And they say, you know what, I love this welding.

I'm going to keep that up.

But what I really want to do is be a supervisor and I need a college degree for that.

So I'm going to college anyway.

So so they're not locked into any one pathway, but at least they've got a pathway where they've demonstrated they can make a living.

I think it's so interesting to have seen that evolve over the last 10 or 15 years in terms of the graduation rate, because it had had bee a controversial kind of figure.

And then and then the focus on, you know, these outcomes.

I think that's really interesting and really a lot of progress.

I'm sure the board was excited to hear, those, those.

Yeah, they were.

And, you know, several years ago, many years ago, way before my time when the board voted to do away with the high school graduation exam.

I think a lot of people had concerns.

Will there be a quality measure if we don't have a graduation exam?

And tha that was a legitimate concern.

But this college career readiness became the quality measure.

And again, we've been we'v been, closing the gap on that.

And, and, you know, the board's made it clear we're going to transition in the next year to requiring that, for graduation.

Switching gears, third grad reading another big announcement today, 88.4% of third graders this year.

This is 2025, with sufficient reading.

Right.

And so that and that' an improvement over last year.

Correct.

So it is an improvement.

But it's going to be a little different because there are a few your, your, you got a lot of us to, viewers, but a few of them are going to be really astute with a great memory and they're going to say, oh, wait a minute.

I thought last year, you know that that number was over 90%.

The difference here is we change the cut score.

So we raise the cut score this year.

And, so, so if we look at apples to apples and we see the new cut scores 444, you know, everything.

Nothing can be on 100 point scale, but, so it was 434.

Now, we've raised it for 44.

So if we look for 44 at 444, where were we last year?

Where are we now?

We've gone from about, about, 13% of our students below grade level to 11%.

So the same cuts.

Yeah.

If you would apply the same cut score.

So, so true.

True.

The number looks like it's gone down a little bit, but it's only the proficiency is actually going up.

It's just we're we're raising the bar.

We're raising the bar.

And in a couple of years we're going to raise the bar again.

We've already, recommended the board last yea that that we've stayed two years at this cut score for 44 and then we raise it to 454.

That's more aggressive than a lot of people want it.

It's more aggressive even then.

Our outside experts recommended.

But but I felt like it was very important to raise the bar and to rais the bar as quickly as we could.

And I got to say something.

Schools are there.

They're picking up the slack, and they, as we raise the bar, they're moving up.

Very happy with that.

Glad to see proficiency going up and rating.

But, you know, it needs to go.

Students don't need to be going on to fourth grade not able to read at a sufficient level.

Now, we also are making sure we warn parents that, you know, 444 is a cut score.

If you've got a child who scores 445, he or she is going to be promoted, to fourth grade.

But they may still be a really struggling reader because there's a, you know, some statistics work.

They might be a 445 today or 443 tomorrow.

And so we need those students to also make sure that our parents pay attentio and make sure if their child is, you know, still close to that mark, even though they're moving on, that they, they're watching their reading closely, working with the teacher to make sure we se that progression and get to get well above the cut score.

Yeah.

And I wanted to also remind folks, becaus just because it's that number, you know, this would mean I guess 11.6% did not meet the, the requirements for sufficient reading.

That doesn't necessarily mean that 11.6% of third graders are all getting held back, because there's so much effort going into summer reading, trying to get them to that promotion level.

So it could be a lot of improvement.

There could be a lower number by the end of the summer.

Correct?

Yeah.

So that so all of those students will be, encouraged.

We're not required, but they're invited.

They're encouraged to attend a summer reading camp at the summer reading camp.

We'll test them again.

We know from past years that about half the students who attend summer reading camp on a daily basis get in, and that they are able to improve their, their, their reading skill so that they can pass the test.

One of our big concerns is attendance.

You know, you can't just sign up for summer reading and and show up two days a week.

Yeah you got to make sure your child this is most if for a third grader.

The most important thing that we can do for them academically is to make sur they're reading on grade level.

Parents have got to get them there every day.

But there are other ways.

Also, we do have some students who, might b in a special education program, and so their IEP team might decide to promote them.

We have some students that are just really poor test takers.

And the teacher and principal, there's a committee a way they can get together.

And what we do, we call a portfolio promotion where they can they can show that this child can read at that level, but he or she, just because of test anxiety or whatever, can't perform on a, standardized test.

And we still move them out to fourth grade to very few, but we do a few that way.

Well, my observation about this is it's a this, you know, 88.4%.

You mentioned accountabilit earlier and raising the the bar.

I think that's important.

But also if this number was 98%, yeah, I think it would be perceived as all right.

Maybe that's not maybe they're not really being, you know, rigorous in terms of the testing.

I think it shows that, no, we're serious about this.

So that was the point of the Literacy Act, right?

Was, you know, let's we'v got to have some accountability.

I think that's interesting.

Can people take that away and say, okay, this is a real number.

We're not just passing them along.

Yeah, absolutely.

I mean that' still a large number 11% to to to open up your books and say, look, 11% of our kids are not even after four years of school, they're not ready to move on to fourth grade based on our assessment.

And so, you know, we want to be honest and transparent with parents.

And also remember, we don't lose it in the averages.

So I actually have two elementary schools in the state that are 100%.

That's great.

We're very proud of them.

But at the same time, we had schools that were down about 70%.

I mean, and, and in some cases in the 60s.

So they're saying that, you know, I mean, in one third of your students are not ready to move on to fourth grade at the end of third grade.

What's going on there?

And we're having intense conversations with those school districts about what's what's happenin in those schools, not trying to, you know, to to throw anybod under the proverbial school bus.

But, but we've got to know what's going on with those schools because that's that's unacceptable, obviously, to us and to to the local school board.

It could be that there's a there's some unusual thing going on there.

But if we say that year after year after year, obviously something's going t have to change in that school.

And shout out to Satsuma and Orange Beach, I believe.

Yes.

So, you know, 100%.

Yeah.

Shout out to them.

One of the ask about the cell phone ban.

So that was one of the big pieces of legislation that passed this session.

Meaning in this coming school year, no cell phones build a bill, kind of lock them away kind of thing.

What's been your feedback?

Because this is a local thing, right?

They've got to come up with their own policies and everything.

I know you'll probably have some guidance.

What has been the feedback from superintendents and principals to say to ho this is going to be implemented?

Well, I'll tell you this.

The feedback from superintendents and principals, different from the group of high schoolers.

Yesterday I talked to.

Okay.

So so I think superintendents and principals definitely have some concerns about how they're going to, in some cases, how they going to manage, how they're going to enforce it.

But you know what?

We we already have about about a quarter of our school districts had already put something in place.

So even over the past two years, we've had a lot of schools.

We started out with just maybe two school districts that said, we're not going to allow cell phones in school.

And then it last year it multiplied greatly.

This year they'll all have to go to it.

So I say that to say there are people who've already walked this road and they'll be able to help their, their peers figure it out.

It is very doable.

But this there had to have a policy in place and it will be implemented this fall.

Now, I did talk to a group of young people yesterday.

Very smart young people.

Who were who were with the Troy University American Village Leadership Program.

I enjoyed my time with them.

But I will tell you, they asked me some of the best questions yet about, about cell phones and, and, and and why we were doing it, and what that would look like for them in the fall.

And, and I asked them some questions, too, so I enjoyed that very much.

But I, I think it will be a shock to a lot of our young people to not have access to their phone.

But again, as I said, we've we have walked this road already in several school districts and it'll be okay.

We'll all be better off to turn our phones off for a little while.

Maybe one of those things that after a couple of years, it'll just kind of be what it is.

You know, it's a little rocky at first, but all that.

Well after I passed a law on to me, I can't use my cell phone for seven hours a day.

I'll.

They throw in my hands.

Yeah.

If you took mine away for that, that that would be tough.

I don't know, we're all addicted.

I want to ask you about the Raise Act.

Another big, big policy reform this session.

Can we keep harping on this?

Because it's such a big deal.

I know the board discussed this at length today.

Talk about this from your standpoint that was talke with the legislature about it.

You know, the committe that kind of put this together, this hybrid plan giving, you know, school districts, funding for these students that require more money to, to, to teach, talk about i from a departmental standpoint, what that means for you all.

Yeah.

Well, we're very excited about it.

I appreciate the leadership, that Governor Ivey and, finance Director Poe showed in this.

And then our two budget chair senator and, Chairman Garrett, because they really had a vision for for where we want to go.

And yet they had the realism to know we can't get there all in one year.

I think they made a wise decision to say the base is, is actually pretty good.

You know, Alabama's the way we establish our base and the foundation program is kind of a national model.

There are other other states that look at us.

So we have this floating base.

It's not exactly the same everywhere because we look at some at several criteria and building the base.

And that's a good thing.

That's we've been there for a long time.

But just because something's been in place for 30 years doesn't mean it's all bad.

Same time we needed to move to the next step.

We needed to do some studen directed, student based funding.

And they did that.

So in my opinion, they really landed in a sweet spot where they where I would preserve the best of what the legislature had done in the mid 90s, which is still in place.

But add on to that even better stuff for the future.

And I think as we grow at there, I'm not sure I can remember all of them.

But you know, we're now have a student wait for student poverty.

So the more poverty there is in a system, more concentrated poverty there is obviously the the more money that will get, for special education and special education tiered out in three different tiers, for English languag learners, for gifted students.

And and I think that's going to be, you know, it's going to and the future is going to be a very positive thing for our schools.

Now.

It'll be a positive thing this year.

But what we have to remember is $166 million, about 58 of that is money that the schools are already getting.

But we we shifted from previous line items into the new funding formula, and then about 10 and $101 million of new money, over time, both budget chairs have talked about, look, this is not this is not life changing money, in one year, but we are moving towar we've got a new system in place, and we're going to move toward more and more and more of our funding, new funding going into this new system.

And, you know, I, I think we we're going to look back in ten years and say that was that was really a watershed moment.

That was a very good thing to do.

But at the same time, I want to have the caveat.

And then the school board meeting earlier this week, I was real careful with them to say, look, don't expect the world to change overnight because this is the this is the beginning.

And, I think people would have unrealistic expectations if next summer they say, well, what good did that do.

Yeah.

Look, it's not going to there' going to be no appreciable good, over the next year because remember, it won't even go in place till October.

We'll have three quarters worth of data next year.

But I think ten years from now we look back and we'll say, hey, that again.

That was a watershed moment, a great decision on the part of the state.

Yeah, it's big deal.

Almost out of time.

But I wanted to ask you about this.

We we haven't really, discussed this.

You are the chairman of your among your national peers of the Council of Chief State school officers.

This is state superintendent right from around the country.

You're the chairman You're the leader of the group.

Well, congratulations on that honor, by the way.

But talk about what that is, because, I mean, it really puts you in the at the table in terms of, nationally in terms of education policy.

Yeah, it does.

And I have really enjoyed so far my term with, with KSO.

So that's all the, all the states, plus the territories, the Department of Defense.

So there actually 5 of us, and, and we get together three times a year.

We talk about policy, we talk about governance.

It's a it's a great group of people.

And and I'm thrilled to be the president.

But it's also, a group tha leads to some tough discussions because as you can imagine, there are deep red states, there are deep blue states, and there are purple states, and they all have their own, way of looking at policy an governance and how we do school, how we fund school, what our policies are going to look like.

And then of course, even in, you know, in those states there are changes.

So we're, we're pretty deep red state.

I'm very proud of that.

But at the same time, we certainly have a lot of people who who disagree with one another inside our state, inside our legislature and inside our local school boards.

So no one person represents just one view.

And we know that, we get together and w we have some very lively debate.

But it's a friendly debat because I will say it's a group.

And my, you know, state chief colleagues across the country who who they come to it the same way I do.

We deeply care about students.

We want students toda to get a really good education so they can have a bright future for tomorrow.

And, and my colleagues, whether they you know, some of them are elected Republicans, elected Democrats, they're appointed by board like I am.

Some of them serve on governor's cabinet.

But but I would have to say they all come to it the same with the same goal in mind.

We want our students to be better prepared for a bright future.

I'm enjoying it.

You know, the the, it's makes me very proud.

I'm the only person from Alabama to ever hold this office and, chosen by my colleagues across the country.

And I'm, honored and humbled to serve, but also proud to be able to do this for Alabama.

Well, look, congratulations on these improving scores that we're seeing.

And thank you for your time and explaining some of those.

Look forward to seeing you back.

Be glad to come back.

We'll be right back.

Since 1997, Alabam Public Television has provided programs, services, and resources to childcare professionals, teachers and parents.

Visit AP tv.org/education to learn more.

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Welcome back to Capitol Journal.

Joining me next is Rick Payne, Alabama's commissioner of agriculture and industry.

Commissioner thanks for coming on the show.

Thank Todd.

Good to be with you again.

Well, obviousl you're the commissioner there at commissioner, but that's not why I want to have you on the show.

You'r running for lieutenant governor.

You've made it official last week that you're in the race.

It's going to be an open sea because the current lieutenant governor Will Ainsworth, is term limited.

So it's an open seat.

Candidates are getting in the race.

So let me just ask you that most basic question.

And that is why run for lieutenant governor?

Why do you want to be lieutenant governor?

Yeah, I don't know that.

I thought, I want to be.

I know why I'm running, though.

You know, I feel like with the competently done at the Department of AG, we've gotten a lot done.

And it's been really meaningful work to me.

And I've really enjoyed myself.

And, like I poured myself into that job, and, yeah, I just feel like I still got a lot left in the tank.

And, obviously I'm term limited also out of my job, which I support.

I really feel like I've given this really now six and a half really good years and burn most of my really great ideas up.

And so, yeah, I think it's time for somebody new to come in and put their impression on and, and I and like I said, I feel like I've got something to give and, and I looked at the other races, you know, ahead of the opportunities.

Whether it was going to work for USDA or, or other opportunities were presented to me and it would have allowed me to leave early.

And I just made that commitment that I didn't think that was right and sort of be bail and ship for a year and a half out, because I've got a lot of other people that would start do that if I left and and I wasn't sure who the governor might bring in any way in.

So, yeah, I looked around at what else was there?

No one I wanted to stay to the end of my term.

And really, Lieutenant governor, I had obviously lots of conversations with Coac Somerville starting in December, almost monthly, if not every six weeks.

You know, he went from thinking about it to 5050 maybe, probably.

But yeah, two months out, he kind of said, yeah, he was running.

And so did you did consider governor?

I did and thought, well, you know, I can make the biggest impact as governor.

But we talked about it a lo and felt like I could do a lot with my relationship with him.

And, and I've got such a great relationship with the Senate, you know, Garland has bee probably one of my best friends I've had in the state House, but a lot of good friends, Democrat Bobby Singleton and I are close, actually traveled with him on a trip.

And so I think, you know, I've been told over and over, so I've trained it's true to kind of job.

You can make what you want it to be.

And I think that's what I've done is commission where coaches made it, something it's never been.

I think because we brought probably more money, probably $100 million in, six and a half years.

I've already been there from Washington, USDA, FDA, EPA money, back to Alabama and grown a lot of the program we've created that didn't exist.

Sweet grown Alabam did not exist when I got there.

And so that whole branding that gives me a lot of that's probably going to end up being my legacy when I leave.

But yeah, I wanted to ask you about that because, all right before you were ag commissioner, you were a mayor, small town mayor.

So that mayor experienc lent itself to ag commissioner in some ways.

Right.

So I'm curious what your work and your experiences.

AG Commissioner could lend itself to the to the to the Senate to to being presidents.

And your you also mentioned those relationships.

So is that part of it.

Like what is your experience.

And AG commissioner bring to lieutenant governor role.

Well, and even the business experience from 38 years of running a business and being successful doing that.

But yeah, I think everything is about relationships.

I mean, you can't unless you got your governor.

Maybe you could put something through that nobody else cared about but an lieutenant governor in your Senate role.

And I think that's what frustrated, coach 12 or something like that, you know, and you're one of 101 hundred most powerful person, but you can't make anything happen by yourself.

And of course, obviously a governor, he he'll be able to.

But yeah, I think if peopl that know me seem to think I'm pretty easy to get along with, I probably the mayor.

We always try to really build a consensus.

I never we I don't think we eve talk about it was like 3 to 2.

I mean, if I couldn't get it 4 to 1, we just didn't do it until I could understand why there were problems.

And, you know that's kind of my skill is, is, is getting a lot of people getting people to go along.

But I think we've been so innovative in a lot of the stuf we've done, and I'm sure there going to be opportunities like that.

We'll did some good stuf with workforce development, will make an Alabama middle team friendly and others, you know, obviously I've been on I-65 twice this last week and both times came to standstill.

It clearer.

And so that's got to be a problem course obviously there's other needs in the state.

You know trying to add an 82.

And as I travel the whole state because I've this week I've been in you know, doing I was actually in Cleveland County last night and Dale County the night before.

I'll be in Barber County, Thursday night.

And so, yeah, I see the big road and th medium road in the little road.

So, yeah, there's lots of needs infrastructure, need infrastructure.

I mean, farmers gotta have infrastructure business.

You gotta have structure.

You know, because obviously solving this broadband thing to move up as much as we have from, what, 48th or something to the mid 20s, you know, it's huge to rural Alabama.

You know, you just can't nobody anymore can live with that.

And there's pockets.

When I was driving yesterday to to Cleveland County, you know, you get up in there little mountain to Clay County road phone services and stuff.

So yeah, I think there will be opportunities, but, you know, just feel like got something left in the tank.

Well, and that's and that kind of goes into my next question because, you know, just historically speaking, this is the world.

This is politics.

When folks run for lieutenant governor, typically people think of that as, oh, well, maybe they want to turn around eventually and run for governor in four years or eight years, whatever it's going to be.

Has that energy reminded all?

I mean, I know it's really early, but that's, you know, it wouldn't blame for people for asking that kind of question.

Yeah.

And, person asked me that question about a week ago and I honestly told them, and I think people will tell you about me, I'm pretty much an open book.

As far as responding.

But yeah, I never thought about that.

I mean, that's not it's not the reason.

Well, it's never even consideration in running for lieutenant governor.

I just want to serve.

I mean, I don't know, I'm not even committed to serving two terms.

I just know I want to serve for one term, four years, one term, and then we'll see, I guess two years into it, if it still feel like I'm making a difference and, and, and so but yeah, that certainly hadn't even crossed my mind about eight years from now.

You mentioned Tuberville.

Just realistically speaking, I don't want to get too far ahead, but I mean, this is what everybody says.

He's got a pretty good shot at being governor, right?

We can just say that.

So there is not bring that up.

Is the current governor and the current lieutenant governor haven't alway had the best of relationships.

It's been icy at times.

So how is your relationship with Tuberville?

I mean, if you were lieutenant governor, he was governor.

Do you feel lik you would get along pretty well?

Oh, yeah, and we've talked about that a lot.

I mean, I'm not sayin he had me moved to his house on, Easter or anything like that, but yeah, we talked a lot.

In fact, I'm introducing him.

I'm thinking down at the Alabama AGC meetings Friday morning, and I'm introducing him.

He's speaking right after me.

And then, and I'm about three weeks.

I got him to come, and me to serve on a panel for the grocery association down at Sandhurst and, and then actually we're going to go to dinner that night before.

So, yeah, I don't I don't want to act like her best friend because he runs in a little different circle than I do in Lounge County.

But yeah, we've certainly talked about that a lot as far as, working together.

And, you know, I feel lik between that relationship and, you know obviously we're not obviously, but I was a Trump delegate at the last two, conventions.

Of course, they didn't have it in 2020, but I did attend.

And 24, I was a Trump elector to the Electoral College in 20 and 24.

And so I have some of those ties there.

So yeah, I think I mean, obviously he likes coach and he, you know, I've met hi one time and and shook his hand.

But yeah, I would think his people know who I am.

Well it's going to be a long campaign.

I mean you just major announcements.

So we want to have everybody on at the beginning.

We hope this conversation can continue because we want our audience to become familiar with all the candidates and who might be, you know, our next leader.

So thank you for your time an good luck on the campaign trail.

It's going to be a long one here will be yeah.

You look you look back on it years from now fondly.

But while you're going through it, not so much.

It just seems like it starts earlier.

And earlier, I think it.

But you got to get out there.

Right?

So anyway, thanks again for your time tonight.

We'll be right back.

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

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Click on the online video tab on the main page.

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Welcome back to Capitol Journal.

Joining me next is Alabama' secretary of state, Wess Allen.

Secretary, thanks for coming on the show, sir.

Thanks.

Appreciate it.

Well, obviously you are Secretary of state.

Sure could get into all that, but really, why I wanted to have you on is because you've announced your candidacy for governor.

You were actually the first one to get in the race.

You were kind of early announcing about this al the campaign season it started.

So I want to talk to you about your candidacy.

And let me just ask you the most basic question, and that is, why are you running?

Why do you want to be Lieutenant governor of Alabama?

Well, first off, it's important.

This position is vitally important to the state of Alabama.

And I want to take the experience to, that, you know, as a pike County probate judge for nine and a half years.

My one term in the Alabama House of Representatives, where we did a lot of work, a lot of good work.

And then, of course, my four years of experience working in the Capitol, you know, so judicial, legislativ and now executive as secretary, I think all of that experience is going to transition well towards the lieutenant governor's role.

And I think having somebody in that position that understands the legislative process, that understands, the vital rol that the Lieutenant governor's office plays in the leadership of Alabama and the direction of Alabama is vitally important.

And I want to be the man to sit in that chair and to preside over the Senate and be the one that, helps with 167 different boards an commissions making appointments, about 400 appointments statewide to a lot of different boards and commissions that help the citizens of Alabama.

I mean, just look at our track record in the Secretary's offic of what we've been able to do.

Over the last three and a half years, a lot of hard work rolled up our sleeves, went to work, protected elections, and making sure that we are a business friendly office in the secretary's office.

And we've advocated for bills that had cut red tape, have cut fees.

We've managed it well, and we've done a lot of really neat things taking care of elections and then taking care of businesses in Alabama.

The lieutenant governor role is an interesting one because it's kind of, you know, foot in both worlds in terms of executive and legislative.

So any issues in particular that you would want to focus on tha you're going to be campaigning?

I know it's pretty early, you know, a little less than a year out of the primary, but any issues that you want to focus on in particular as the campaign goes forward?

Sure.

So, you know, when I travel all over this state, here's what I know about the people of Alabama.

Number one, they're very proud of this state.

They're very proud of their families.

They're proud of their family names.

They're proud of their churches.

They're proud of their football.

They're proud of so many things.

History and heritage.

We want to make sure that we First off, take care of Alabama and keep Alabama.

Alabama.

Second off, I want to make sure that we continue the good work of being busines friendly, not only from my role as secretary in the small part that I've been able to play there, bu an extended, larger role, like, you know what Governor Ainsworth has been able to do with workforce development.

I think that's vitally important to make sure our, folks are prepared and for jobs and make sure that we have a good quality workforce for, industry that is looking to locate inside the state of Alabama.

So we want to do that as well and just continue.

We want to have a strong, vibrant economic environment for Alabama to compete in and be successful.

I want families to be successful.

I want small business owners to be successful.

And, we want to cut the red tape.

You know, I've done that.

In our office, as secretary, proposed some bills back when I was in the legislature to cut red tape and to keep administrative rules down and the economic footprint that they would have had on and burdensome, rules that are sometimes placed on small business.

And I think my track record, as probate judg in the legislature and secretary reflects that.

Now, any time anybody runs for lieutenant governor, the natural question is, oh, well, maybe they want to be governor, right?

So let me ask you about that.

Any thought in your mind about, oh, is this a stepping stone to the top job?

Great question.

I know you're doin your job to ask it.

Well yeah.

That just gets natural and it's a natural way.

Let me just say this.

I think anybody that knows me knows, the type of man I am to focus on what's right there in front of me and to when I get a position like probate in Pike County, the legislative process in a secretary that we roll our sleeves up and go to work.

And I want to focus on what we're doing.

I want to focus on that.

Lieutenant governor's race and the lieutenant governor's role, to make sure I work as hard as I possibly can for the people of this state.

And, you know, I want to focus o the lieutenant governor's race and the governor's role.

So that's what we want to do.

Let me ask you about, Tommy Tuberville, because I think it's pretty obvious.

I mean, there's a long way to, Election Day and everything, but he's in the catbird seat, right?

So he's very likely to be the next governor of Alabama.

Just real talk.

Sure.

And the reason I bring it up is it's no secret that, Lieutenant Governor Ainsworth and Governor Ivey have not always had the the best relationship I see at times.

How has your relationship with Tuberville?

Would you want to have a closer relationship maybe, than, Ivey and Ainsworth have had?

Well, coaching I have.

As far as I know.

We've got a great relationship together.

I've been to visit with him several times in DC when I went up for, the secretary of state's national, conference.

And, and when I've testifie before Congress, in the Senate, I visited with him and talked to him about the the things that we are addressin in our state, like, voter file maintenance, making sure non-citizens are not voting, making sur we're taking care of the things that we need to take care of inside the Secretary to protect Alabama elections and being business friendly.

But we have a great relationship.

I'm looking forward to working with him and making sur that he gets his agenda passed.

Well, it's going to be a long campaign season.

I mean, it seems like it starts earlier every, season.

What's your plan to kind of travel the state?

Because you got to do your job, right?

You got you got to be secretar of state, but also a candidate.

Is that going to be, you know, the dual kind of, I don't know, double time in a little bit.

Well, it is hard work.

You know, we liv in a great state, a big state.

But I'll just say we work extremely hard.

And I've got a great staff, great team.

First round draft picks in the secretary's office is what I like to say.

But we like to visit one on one with individuals and visit with different groups, laying the groundwork and the foundation for the campaign that's ahead of us.

We feel confident of our, conservative record that we've had.

And, I think people, if they do their due diligence and look at us and look at our campaign, know what we've done in the past, you know, in the Secretary' office, in the legislative role, protecting elections, protecting, like, for instance, vicap, the one that protect the bill that we passed the second state now to pass to make sure back in 2022 that protect minors from the cross sex hormones, puberty blockers and the transgender surgery.

We were the tip of the spear, and I was proud to handle that legislation.

Of course, we get sued in federal court and that's been dismissed.

And and we're very, very proud of that piece of legislation, among others, protecting elections and being business friendly in the in legislation that we've been able to pass.

So, we're excited about the campaign ahead and visiting with people.

I enjoy the campaign.

I enjoy the work, to getting out, meeting the people of this state.

And like I said before, we'v got a great place to call home.

And and I'm so proud and honored to, represent the 5 million peopl in this state as their secretary and as Todd when I walk into a room, like, for instance, in Washington, DC, at a conference of my fellow counterparts, 49 other secretaries from around the state, it's not Wes walking into the room.

It's Alabama walking into that room.

And I want to make sure that I represent Alabama with class and integrity and the way they want to be represented.

You know, sometimes, you know everybody may not always agree on every particular issue, but I want to make sure that I represent everybody the way they want to be represented.

And I'm so proud of Alabama.

Well, look, like I said, going to be a long campaign season won't be the last time we talked about it.

We'd like to d these introductions in terms of, you know, candidates.

Sure.

Announcing and everything.

So good luck on the campaign trail.

We'll talk again soon.

Thanks, John.

We'll be right back.

Tuscaloosa served as the second capital of Alabama from 1826 to 1846, when the capital moved to Montgomery.

The Greek Revival and Federal styled Capitol building was leased to Alabama Central Female College for us as a concert hall and classrooms until it was destroyed by fire in 1923.

The architectural influence of the structure is reflected in many of the buildings on the University of Alabama campus and the ruins are a city park.

That's our show for this week.

Thanks for watching.

We'll be back next week at the same time right here on Alabama Public Television.

For our Capital Journal team, I'm Todd Stacey.

We'll see you next time.