CULLMAN —
The Republican Party in Alabama made more gains in last week’s general election.
Roy Moore reclaimed the seat of Alabama Supreme Court chief justice while Twinkles Cavanaugh unseated Lucy Baxley for president of the Public Service Commission. The state legislature is already firmly in the hands of the Grand Old Party, which sets the stage for a crucial 2013 legislative session.
Staring lawmakers in the face is a continued downslide in the General Fund, which is responsible for funding many important services for the state, from prisons and Medicaid to court services. The state’s funding formulas dump most of the tax dollars collected in Alabama to the state Education Trust Fund, which finished the last budget year with a surplus.
State Republican Party chairman Bill Armistead said the GOP has everything in its favor to make strides in bringing the state’s budgets into reality. With a Republican governor and hosts of GOP lawmakers in place, the new leadership will have to work closely together to make anything lasting happen with the budgets.
Medicaid is the big monster for lawmakers to tackle. Prisons are close behind after years and years of tough laws aimed at giving lengthy sentences to offenders. Without some compromises where sentencing and incarceration are concerned, the state could be forced by the U.S. Justice Department to release large numbers of prisoners because of overcrowding and other issues.
The most critical issue is for lawmakers to make some hard decisions concerning funds for various programs in the state. No one wants to keep borrowing from the Alabama Trust Fund to prop up services. Making carefully planned reductions coupled with eliminating waste and fraud in Medicaid are crucial in this session.
Once costs can be controlled, lawmakers should take a serious look at Gov. Robert Bentley’s suggestion of combining the education and general budgets. That doesn’t need to happen next year, but serious consideration should be given to this idea after the General Fund is brought into order.
A rising economy will ensure that the education budget gets plenty of money in the years ahead, but under the formula it leaves little for the General Fund. Leaving that system in place will only bring crisis after crisis to the state. Lawmakers should make the tough moves in the next session and prepare for a change in the budgeting process in the future. The change is long overdue.
Editorials
Tough decisions ahead
- Editorials
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NARCOG’S chance to shine
The North-central Alabama Regional Council of Governments is expected to name a new director in the coming week, a move that should return a sense of direction and stability to the organization.
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Growing pains in Cullman
A proposal to establish an entertainment district in north Cullman, which would have created a venue for live music, was rescinded last week after complaints from residents in the area.
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Bringing back the economy
The economic picture across the United States is beginning to smooth out for many Americans.
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A good job in Vinemont
The town of South Vinemont overnight has become a destination in the world of recreation.
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A time to remember
Those who served, and those who continue to serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard took an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, and we can never forget the importance of their commitment to our Nation
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Taking the lead in education
The once-heralded ‘No Child Left Behind” education initiative from the federal level has just about run out of gas.
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Moving into the future
Hundreds of local high school seniors are accepting their diplomas and preparing to turn the page in the next chapter of their lives.
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Editorial: Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
This amounts to spying on an American news organization -- common practice in dictatorships but scary conduct in a democratic system that prizes the public value of an independent watchdog press.
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EDITORIAL: The IRS' Turn to Answer Questions
Washington is now sinking its teeth into a real scandal: the Internal Revenue Service using ideological criteria to choose the targets of its attention.
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Editorial: The house of death
The grisly details emerging from the murder trial of a Philadelphia abortion doctor place a glaring spotlight on a national disgrace.
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