MONTGOMERY — Legislation setting minimum staffing standards for law enforcement agencies in Montgomery and Huntsville died in the House on Thursday.
The bill by State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) would provide minimum staffing requirements for Class 3 municipal law enforcement agencies. Alabama has two Class 3 cities, Montgomery and Huntsville. Most of the discussion about the bill has centered around Montgomery.
Barfoot told 1819 News on Thursday it was "disappointing" the bill wasn't passed out of the House.
"I'm disappointed for the citizens and the business owners of Montgomery. I'm disappointed for the police department, those folks that wear a badge every day. It's disappointing," Barfoot said. "I'm disappointed for those as of yet unnamed victims of crime because Montgomery doesn't have the police force that they need, the numbers that they need. There will be victims because of that. It's a fact."
Barfoot said the bill had the support of Gov. Kay Ivey, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Marshall's chief counsel Katherine Robertson.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and Montgomery Police chief James Graboys opposed the bill.
Barfoot's bill was the last bill on the House calendar for Thursday, but the House adjourned for the session without voting on it.
Thursday was the last day of the legislative session. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) said there wasn't enough time to pass the bill.
"We couldn't get it out. We didn't have enough time to be honest with you because it was going to be filibustered all the way through. I hate to cloture on the last day. I mean, sometimes we have to do that. It got to the end of the day and it just wasn't possible. We could see that," Ledbetter told reporters on Thursday. "They start back in February and It's certainly something to be monitored at that time and have an opportunity to do something with it then."
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