Franklin County's two House of Representatives delegates received key appointments when committee assignments were made last week.
Rep. Ken Johnson, who represents House District 7, including eastern Franklin County, will serve on the powerful Ways and Means General Fund Committee and Financial Services Committee for the upcoming legislative term. Johnson will sit as Vice-Chairman of both committees.
Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, longtime voice for House District 18, will serve on the Boards, Agencies & Commissions Committee and Local Legislation Committee. Morrow will serve as the ranking minority member (Democrat) on each committee.
This is Johnson's second appointment to the Ways and Means General Fund Committee. This committee budgets and provides funding for “just about everything except education in Alabama,” Johnson said.
“When you think of the number one priority of the state legislature, it's to pass budgets and appropriate money so that government functions. That's certainly a critical part of what the primary purpose of the legislature is,” Johnson said.
Johnson will also chair the Appropriations Subcommittee as part of his duties on the Ways and Means General Fund Committee.
Education and general fund budgets alternate each year as to which side of the legislature they begin. This year's session will see the education budget emanate in the House, with the general fund budget in the Senate.
“Sometimes you get into your committee and a budget's already passed5+98 the Senate. Even then, you can find things that need to be tweaked or altered. And after the budget leaves committee, it can still be amended on the floor,” Johnson said.
With a professional experience in financial services, Johnson was a natural for the Financial Services Committee, which deals with legislation related to banking and financial entities.
“My profession is in the financial services industry so along with insurance, that's my day-to-day work outside the legislature,” Johnson said. “The Speaker (Mike Hubbard), when making appointments, wants to utilize the things from which we all bring our life experiences. It's important to have someone who has life experiences and knowledge to utilize their talents in that particular area,” he added.
When Morrow meets with the Boards, Agencies & Commissions Committee, he and his fellow legislators will oversee all legislative policy relating to state boards, agencies and commissions. These include the Alabama State Board of Education, the Alabama Ethics Commission, for example.
“Any legislation affecting those entities is channeled through that committee. It's a new appointment for me,” Morrow said.
Morrow will also sit on two subcommittees, Professional Qualifications and Agency & Commission Issues.
The Local Legislation Committee is one Morrow is quite familiar with after his 2013 battle with Gov. Robert Bentley about the local legislation that created the Franklin County volunteer school security force. In a highly unusual move for a local act, Bentley vetoed the legislation before being overruled by the legislature.
When it comes to local laws that primarily affect just one county, Morrow said the rule is typically to defer to the wishes of the legislative delegation from that county, if possible.
“Sometimes, there can be disagreement within that local delegation. Jefferson County has more than 20 House members and sometimes those local bills are referred to this committee if it's a disputed bill and the delegation can't arrive at an agreement,” Morrow said.
As for his status as ranking minority member, Morrow will be the primary spokesman for the Democratic Party within the committee.
“The procedure that's always followed is if a minority party does oppose some legislation to allow the ranking member to voice concerns. You end up getting outvoted but you do have the opportunity to state your feelings before the committee. And I do have seniority as far as the Democrats on the committees,” Morrow said.
The Alabama Legislature begins its session March 3, 2015.
