Democrat’s Stalling Tactics Barrier to Completion of Special Session
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, Bill Armistead, released the following statement:
“Senator Marc Keahey (D – Grove Hill) has for all practical purposes shut down the Alabama Senate today by implementing the stalling tactic of having the legislative reapportionment bill read word for word. It will take the entirely of the legislative day to read the 330+ page bill.”
The Alabama Senate went to work this morning at 7:00 a.m. to fulfill the business of the day but Sen Keahey had no more respect for the taxpayers’ money than to waste a day of this legislative session. By law, reapportionment must be completed every ten years of the census in order to ensure adequate representation for all citizens regardless of population shifts.
The Legislative Reapportionment Committee held numerous public hearings over the past year and debated the bill at length yesterday. “Just as the legislation was being called to a vote with overwhelming support, Keahy called for an unnecessary and costly reading of the bill. This political posturing does nothing to benefit the people of Alabama and its only purpose was to delay the inevitable passage of this heavily supported legislation.”
“Marc Keahey’s political tactics amount to nothing more than a temper tantrum that is costing the people of Alabama about $30,000 for a wasted legislative day. This kind of waste of taxpayers’ money, when the state is operating on a very tight budget, should cause the voters in Sen. Keahey’s district to question his motives. Keahey should be ashamed for wasting an amount of money that is the equivalent of the average yearly salary of an Alabama taxpayer for no good reason at all. I am sure the people of Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe and Washington Counties expected more when they voted for him in 2010.”
“If Senator Keahey truly believed that this bill should be read aloud then he should sit in the chamber and listen to every word as it is read. He hasn’t done that. Sen. Keahey and his colleagues in the Democratic party should have more respect for the money that hardworking Alabamians send to Montgomery. His actions basically spit in the faces of the taxpayers of this state.”
###