FAIRHOPE — Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) addressed the Eastern Shore Republican Women (ESRW) on Thursday.
Ledbetter said people in the state have a lot to be thankful for. He said the state leads other states in auto making and building commercial airliners. Ledbetter pointed out that lawmakers have worked on a conservative budget while cutting the state’s grocery tax and capping property taxes.
However, he brought up the issue of mental health, although he said he didn’t intend to when he agreed to speak. That changed after prayers were offered for Fairhope Cpt. John Hamrick, who passed away this week due to mental health struggles.
Hamrick was born and raised in Fairhope and worked for Fairhope PD for 19 years. He died Tuesday.
Ledbetter said the death made him realize he needed to address some of the things being done in Alabama to improve mental health. He said he spoke to Gov. Kay Ivey four years ago to make changes. He added that law enforcement has had more training for crisis intervention, new crisis care centers have opened, mobile units have opened and every public school has a mental health coordinator.
According to Ledbetter, people are not as scared to talk about mental health in Alabama as they used to be.
While he said there is still more work to be done, he is thankful the state is better off now than it was four years ago.
“And since that time, you know, we have changed plans today,” Ledbetter told the group of over 100. “We pulled together everybody. We pulled together from the Sheriff's Association. We pulled together people from the probate judges. We pulled the school people together, Senate and House members. And we talked about what we could do in a number of pieces of legislation to make a difference in our state.”
Ledbetter said his family and friends have not suffered from mental health issues but he has heard many stories that made him realize how much things need to change.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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