By Staff
Rep. Ronald Grantland, Guest Columnist
Right now is a great time to be an Alabamian. The economy is strong; school test scores are on the rise; job growth and economic development are at an all-time high. However, the work is never done. These next four years will be vital to the future of our state.
In the coming weeks many legislators will begin pre-filing bills for the upcoming session. In January the House and Senate will convene for an Organizational Session. During this time, both Houses will elect new leadership, and establish new procedural rules. Later in the spring, we will convene for the 2007 Regular Session.
The last four years in the legislature proved to be very effective. Over the last legislative term both parties worked together to pass tax cuts for Alabama’s working families, keep the pay of Alabama’s teachers in-line with inflation, increase penalties against child sex offenders, make it tougher to purchase the ingredients to make meth, and lengthen the school year by five additional days to keep our children on par with the rest of the nation.
If we continue to work with both sides of the aisle, the success of the last four years will transfer into future success as well. There is so much that we can do, but it is imperative that we work together. Everyone in the legislature must unite, regardless of party, to accomplish as much as we can for Alabama.
There are still tough challenges. We must continue to adequately fund our public schools, which are vitally to the future of our state. We must also continue make our government as accountable as possible. Recently, we have made huge strides to make state government more open. It is imperative that we continue to address these issues in order to best serve the people of this state.
Representatives are elected to be the voice of our communities. However, input and communication from all citizens after the election is over is the most critical factor in the legislative process. Your input is essential, whether your concerns are about jobs, education, health care, social security, crime, or our soldiers in Iraq. I want to know what matters to you because it shapes my actions as a legislator.
I remain strongly committed to all the residents and groups in my district, and plan to continue my open-door policy of listening to the views of all Alabama citizens who want to be heard in Montgomery.
Each community across Alabama faces its own unique issues, and as your State Representative, I want to be an advocate for you and your family. I stand ready and willing to work to do whatever is necessary to continue the improvement of life in our district and across the great state of Alabama. Thank you for allowing me the privilege to serve as your Representative for the next four years. Now let’s get to work.