MONTGOMERY — State Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville) spoke to 1819 News on Tuesday afternoon about the upcoming legislative session.
The North Alabama lawmaker noted two personal priorities for the coming months.
"We've got to focus on a conservative budget," Reynolds stated. "Also, priorities for me are working on the opioid supplemental appropriation, and also the new Rural Health Transformation Program is something we really got to get going on. It may involve a couple of bills by the end of this session."
Reynolds, a former Huntsville Police chief who served for 34 years, said he expects two pieces of legislation to pass this session that will assist law enforcement and their families across the state.
"We had one bill that did not pass in the governor's 'Back the Blue' package. It was the scholarships for law enforcement families. So, we are looking to move that one early on. We also see some others that will support law enforcement, particularly related to staffing requirements for some of our larger cities."
In the last session, Reynolds successfully introduced HB202, the Back the Blue Legal Protection Act, which expands legal protections for law enforcement officers facing civil lawsuits and criminal prosecution arising from their official duties.
As for any big legislative news for the North Alabama area, Reynolds played his cards close to the vest.
"We are looking at some things. We are not quite ready to move that yet. Got a lot of growth up there in North Alabama, and we certainly have to be in a position to support it," added Reynolds.
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