Legislation putting the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) commissioner under the governor's control that passed the Senate last week by a 21-9 margin “doesn’t really give the veterans a voice,” according to one State Board of Veterans Affairs member.
The bill shifts the ADVA commissioner's hiring and firing responsibility to the governor. The role currently answers to the SBVA. The bill also turns the SBVA into an advisory board.
In a release by Gov. Kay Ivey's office on Tuesday, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS and the American Legion expressed support for the bill.
However, Matt Gaff, an Army veteran from Mobile and SBVA board member representing the American Legion for seven years, told 1819 News on Wednesday afternoon he opposed the bill.
“I definitely believe that if the majority of the membership read the current bill even with the amendments in its entirety, I don’t believe the majority of the veterans in the state of Alabama would support their voice being removed. Making the board an advisory committee or board that doesn’t really give the veterans a voice because they can advise the commissioner on certain things but it doesn’t have to necessarily be done because there’s no authority to the board anymore,” Gaff said. “One prime example is the State Veterans Cemetery they have over in Baldwin County. Initially, Admiral Marsh, who was the commissioner at the time, he had opposed that same veterans cemetery. Well, because the board did have the authority, they had a state veterans cemetery built in Baldwin County.”
The legislation still has to pass the House before it can be signed into law by Ivey. Ivey has maintained the bill will "give our veterans an even stronger voice." Former ADVA commissioner Kent Davis has said the bill is "retaliation" for his ethics complaint against a member of Ivey's cabinet last year.
Gaff said he agreed with the ADVA commissioner role being a cabinet-level position but didn’t agree with the SBVA being turned into an “advisory” board.
“If you look at the track record of not only the ADVA but the state board, I don’t know why you would change something if it’s not broken,” Gaff said. “I’d love to see it where the board was able to produce to the governor three to five names of individuals they’ve interviewed and they’ve talked with that they know that they can work with to keep making Alabama veteran (friendly) and providing more benefits to their families and programs. Give those names that way the board has a commissioner that they feel comfortable that they can work with.”
He continued, “It is pretty surprising to see a bill from the Senate and from the House that has to do with the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs and the State Board of Veterans Affairs move so quickly.”
“It’s an issue now, but for the last 60 plus years that board has been able to operate and make sure veterans and their dependents in the state of Alabama receive the best that they can get. It’s been a challenge. It has. Opening a new veterans home, holy cow I didn’t know if that would ever happen but it did. During the Covid period, we had some of the best ratings of any living facility in the country. That was the state board holding ADVA staff not only accountable but working with them to make sure that the board was providing the support that they needed to the staff and the staff was making sure that they were doing their best to take care of their veterans and their family members. It gives the veteran community a true voice. It doesn’t give us just some words to say at a table that don’t have to be followed,” Gaff said.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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