After being delayed on the final day of last week's legislative schedule, a bill by State Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road) allowing the governor and attorney general (AG) to appoint an interim police chief in municipalities with out-of-control crime is nearing its final chance at becoming law as the session winds down.
Reed announced his plans to file the bill nearly a year ago after he clashed with Montgomery's leadership over the city's perceived lack of attentiveness to the escalating crime.
House Bill 14 (HB14) would permit the AG and governor, in consultation with one another, to appoint an interim police chief to superintend any municipal police department if they determine that a particular and ongoing threat to public safety exists within a municipality.
The bill was amended in a House Committee, requiring the governor and the attorney general to jointly agree on appointing an interim chief. The amended bill also states that an interim chief will not serve more than six months from the date of appointment, and that no other interim chief can be appointed for at least six months after the previous one's term ends.
Before appointing an interim chief, they must do the following:
- Review relevant federal, state and local crime statistics.
- Determine that the number of law enforcement officers employed by the municipality's police department is 30% less than the average number of law enforcement officers employed by that police department for the preceding 10 years.
- Consult with the district attorney, county sheriff and victims of crimes committed within the municipality.
State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) is carrying the bill in the Senate.
From the start, the bill was pilloried by Democratic lawmakers and Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, who called the legislation" legislative overreach."
HB14 was scheduled for this past Thursday's House calendar, which was already chock-full of controversial bills that had drawn the ire of House Democrats. However, when it came time for the bill to receive a floor vote, it was carried over at the call of the chair, meaning at the House Speaker's discretion.
Tuesday is the 24th of the 30 legislative days available for lawmakers to conduct business. Since HB14 must still clear the Senate before it can be signed into law, the timeline for final passage is getting tighter.
Ingram told 1819 News that the decision to carry the bill was made because a significant amount of time was already being spent on a contentious calendar.
"We took so much time on those other bills, we figured it was going to be three to four hours of debate on it, so the speaker asked me if I would mind, and I said I didn't," Ingram said. "It was late; there was no reason to keep everyone there with Easter weekend coming up. I wanted everyone to get home before dark."
Ingram said the bill has the votes in both the House and Senate. However, with Senate lawmakers embroiled in a partisan row between Republican and Democratic leadership, the final weeks of the session are a question mark for everyone.
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Senate tensions, combined with the limited time remaining in the session, make Ingram question the bill's fate despite the apparent appetite among lawmakers.
"I don't know what the temperature is going to be next week, but they've got a lot of catching up to do," Ingram continued. "There is an appetite to pass it. I've talked to [Senate President Pro Tem Garlan] Gudger; I've talked to Barfoot. There's just a lot of bills we need to get passed."
"I hope we can get it through. I feel like if we can get it through the House by Thursday, I think we'll have a real good chance of getting HB14 passed."
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