BAY MINETTE — During Tuesday's North Baldwin County Republican Women's meeting, State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) addressed the Alabama Republican Party's resolution to oppose the expansion of gambling, immigration concerns and controversy surrounding the Alabama Department of Veteran Affairs.
Veterans Affairs
"No harm was ever done, nobody lost anything, and there was never any misappropriation," Albritton said about the fallout of an ethics complaint filed over the handling of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Albritton, who serves as co-chairman of the ARPA Oversight Committee and is a military veteran, thinks the controversy was rooted in personality differences and not in the mishandling of ARPA funds. He explained that $7 million went to mental health for veterans through the VA. He said those monies had to be handled in a certain way due to federal guidelines. In some cases, other states were handling the funds the way Alabama wanted to, but he said those ideas did not qualify for ARPA funding.
"There was arguments about that, about who sent what and who shot John and all that stuff because veterans were listening to what other states were doing in certain matters," he said. "We found that to be the case several times, and particularly for people in other states were saying things that wasn't exactly correct."
The senator said all funds designated for VA projects were replaced to ensure those projects were funded.
"Because of the timing and such, that ARPA money was used for other purposes," he said. "But because the Veterans Affairs had already committed to these particular projects, other money was put in so that those commitments could be met."
Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) commissioner Kent Davis filed an ethics complaint against Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) commissioner Kim Boswell after the funds were not appropriated to the VA. Governor Kay Ivey then called for Davis' resignation. Davis eventually agreed to resign effective December 31. Albritton said he has never seen Ivey willing to negotiate.
"Now, I've worked with Governor Ivey for a number of years," Albritton said. "I've known her even longer. She is a stubborn woman, and I have seen on not just this but previous occasions that when she gets crossed up with somebody, she stays crossed up, and she gets even."
"Now, I don't agree with all that, but she be it," he said. "That ethics charge was the eruption that caused most of this."
"This was the first time in incidents like this where I saw the governor was willing to negotiate," he added. "We did come to a solution. It wasn't a good solution but it was the best solution we could come to given the circumstances that we're in."
Albritton said he has been dealing with Davis's treatment and the misinterpretation of the issues for the past week.
"Misappropriation did not occur," he said once more. "There wasn't anything illegal or even improper."
Gambling
When responding to ALGOP's resolution against gambling expansion, Albritton said he hasn't read the resolution but believes it is "short-sighted" and "unenforceable."
"They have put the majority of the Republicans in the legislature in lurch," he said. "I say all that because we voted on gambling bills – I've carried a couple of them, and we have come very, very close to getting them. In fact, in the Senate, we passed them by supermajority, and in the House, they passed it by supermajority. So, all those Republicans that now supported that, what happens there?"
The senator said the issue isn't about the "evil of it" but controlling the industry.
"My point is that the industry is already affecting and afflicting us," he said. "We have at least seven if you want to use the term loosely, 'casinos' in the state. We also have people going outside the state for lotteries and other things. How many go to Biloxi?"
The enforcement factor of gambling is a concern for those who support gambling expansion.
Immigration
On immigration, Albritton said the federal government is to blame for the recent influx of migrants settling across Alabama.
"It came about because the federal government, the executive [branch] of the federal government decided not only to not enforce the existing laws but to open up by executive order – illegal if I might add – to supersede those and to allow this to go in."
Albritton said Alabamians can make a difference by voting for Donald Trump for president.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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