The Greater Birmingham Young Republicans recently hosted their July meeting, featuring State Rep. David Faulkner (R-Mountain Brook) as the guest speaker.
Over a dozen young professionals from various parts of the Birmingham metro area and diverse professional fields gathered to discuss their experiences with Faulkner.
The club's president, Vincent Wilhite, introduced the speaker and led the meeting. Faulkner discussed a wide array of legislative topics, both current and historical, that he’s proud to have been a part of, before taking questions and sharing some of his philosophy on how to successfully pass bills.
During the question-and-answer session, Faulkner shared his thoughts on getting things done in Washington, D.C., and how the same principles apply in Montgomery.
Faulkner said of Congress, “They don't get done a lot. Now, you're seeing it happen for the first time because Republicans have the House, the Senate, and the president. It's a very slim majority,” which is why he said lawmakers must be open to compromise even when bills are not perfect.
He gave the example of the most recent bill that divided the party.
“Yes, there are things in that Big Beautiful Bill that I didn't like," he explained. "But there was a lot that I liked, and that is how the legislature works. You have got to be able to say, is there enough good in this that we need to get this done? Yep, I don't like that. I don't like that.”
Faulkner continued, “If I'm the drawer of this bill in an ideal world, that's not how I would draw it, but you, that is not how the legislature works.”
He cautioned against an all-or-nothing approach to passing laws, stating, “So I was very much if you're an idealist and you want to stay and say, ‘this is my ideal world, and this is the only ideal legislation?’ It doesn't work. It will never work.”
“It doesn't matter if you have all three if you have the executive branch and the legislature. You're still dealing with your own Republicans in different states, just like in Alabama. My district may be very different from my buddy's district, who is down in Clay County or up in Franklin County. Our districts are very different, and that's what I encourage all of you to do,” he added, encouraging people to listen and learn from one another."
Faulkner told the group, “We are a big tent. and do not become one, two, three issue Republicans. Keep that door open. We win the war by having a big tent. And yes, we're different. Some people's issue may be their prominent issues, may not be mine. But we all have a common belief system that we adhere to, even if we don't agree on every issue.”
Here are five legislative issues Faulker discussed:
- ALFA Healthcare Bill: House Bill 477 (HB477), which he sponsored. The bill allows a "nonprofit agricultural organization" to offer health benefits to its members and their families. “If your employer's paying for your health insurance, I would say you're in a good spot. But for those people, like farmers and small business owners, who do not have health insurance, it offered another option,” he explained. He said it could help people save 30-60% on their health care.
- Lulu’s Law: House Bill 437 will allow authorities to send a digital alert in a particular geofence area after a shark attack. It would work similarly to an Amber Alert or weather warning.“Lulu Gribbin was attacked by a shark, for those of you who don't know, lost her right leg and part of her left arm. Lulu went to church with me, and I was on the acolyte team that her father and I lived. So it really hit home to me when Lulu was attacked by that shark, and you'll find one of my passions is if you start talking about sharks,” Faulkner said. “I hate sharks,” he said before explaining later that he doesn't hate them all just the aggressive ones known to attack people. He explained that he’s looking at the expansion of Lulu’s Law into Florida and credited U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) with passing her bill in the U.S. Senate, saying he's hopeful that this will lead the way for other states to adopt warning systems as well. He’s also looking at ways for drone support to detect shark activity.
- Birmingham Water Works Board Legislation: Faulkner explained that he receives as much thanks for this legislation as Lulu's Law. Saying of the old board, which is now Central Alabama Water, "That board needed to be readjusted," adding, "The legislature actually absolutely has that power." He called the pending lawsuit "frivolous" and said that he's confident the law will stand.
- Education Support and Funding, Faulkner spoke to the RAISE Act, saying, "[W]e have just changed the funding model for how we're doing education in the state, this session." He said, "I believe that no matter where you are, I represent the four best public school systems state of Alabama, but no matter where you are in Alabama, no matter what your zip code is, I believe you should be given the opportunity to have a college and career ready education that prepares you for either college or your career. I want that for every child to have that opportunity."
- Graduation Coding Requirement Bill is coming: Faulkner explained that the State of Alabama has led the way in phasing in computer literacy and coding into schools across the state. "We lead the nation in this," he said, that the state school board has already moved to say we need to have this as a graduation requirement. I had a bill to do that, we will get that passed next session to make it a graduation requirement."
The Greater Birmingham Young Republicans meet monthly for guest speakers.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected]
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning or become a member to gain access to exclusive content and 1819 News merch.
