The state of Alabama has been subject to two high-profile public institutions, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts and the Magic City Acceptance Academy, seemingly acting in opposition or retaliating against political and cultural views held by a significant majority of the people in this state.
While that in itself is not criminal or even unethical, it has raised questions about whether public resources should be used to espouse those viewpoints or if it violates the state's ban on so-called divisive concepts.
During an appearance on Friday's broadcast of Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show," State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) said it was time to cut state funding for these entities from the budget.
"We ought to defund every one of them that acts like that," he declared. "I mean — the legislative intention is clear with these issues and those that continue that — and you've named several of them — we ought to defund every last one of them, cut them out of the budget completely, exercise the power that the legislature has. And if they want to go raise money to go do crazy stuff, fine, go raise it privately. But get off the government dole and that ought to be the message, and it ought to be firm. And the legislature ought to send it. And the governor ought to send it. And I, for one, am going to be looking very closely at those particular entities and where they fall in, in the in the budgets this year. That is where we need to do that. We need to exercise that authority. We need to have this conversation in budget hearings and we need to have those conversations on the floor. And we will."
Elliott, also a critic of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, argued for similar action regarding that agency's governing structure, given a related perceived abuse of its resources.
Elliott told FM Talk 106.5 he intends to promote an effort he also offered a year earlier.
"Same players in there, same folks — we haven't made any changes there," he said. "That bill is pre-filed. It will come back. We're going to make some changes. And again, the governor has exercised this 'supreme executive authority' over all entities in the state. You don't believe it? After Veterans Affairs, you know, commissioner. And so, at the end of the day, like it or not, she's taking that mantle. She has, you know, can and should if something like that pops up again, or maybe before something like that pops up again, absolutely do something."
Elliott continued, "In the meantime, we share responsibility in the legislature for making sure that board is not a self-perpetuating board where they are essentially appointing themselves back to that board," he added. "I have a bill that does just that and make sure that and makes sure that those board members are responsible to elected officials who are represented by representatives of the people to state of Alabama, and so that there is a direct correlation back to the people on who they want doing those types of things. And so we need to get control over those entities. This whole 'ivory tower' we-know-better-than-you whatever is not going to work anymore."
Jeff Poor is the editor in chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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