House Republicans Want Electric Chair, Charter Schools

Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard took to the podium to announce this year’s priorities for house republicans, called Alabama First.

 

“It’s designed to put our state firmly on the road to being first in education and first in economic development,” said Speaker Hubbard.

 

There are eight different priorities, including the protection of ministers and judges from performing same sex marriages to bringing back the electric chair and adding charter schools. 

 

Over the last four years, Speaker Hubbard says the Republican Supermajority has passed every one of its  priority bills. 

 

But one of the biggest questions was whether conservatives would support Governor Robert Bentley’s proposed taxes to help cover a $700 million deficit. 

 

“We’ve had some very thorough discussions in our caucus and clearly we are all like minded that we want less government and we want to have as low of taxes as possible. We’ve pretty much been united in saying look, we’re going to wait to see what the governor is going to send over. We’ve been involved in some of the meetings and have some ideas,” said Hubbard.

 

Traditionally, the budgets have been some of the last items to come up in the session, many times waiting until the very last minute to pass. 

 

State Representative Mac McCutcheon hopes that changes this session.

 

“Personally I hope that we start addressing our budget concerns early on because we have some very serious issues and we need some good healthy debate over those. So I don’t want to see a last minute rush on something that’s that important,” said Rep. McCutcheon.