From abortion and transgender treatments to climate change and education, the Biden administration has pressured states to embrace its left-wing agenda. That’s why Attorney General Steve Marshall said defending Alabama's sovereignty is more important than ever.
During a recent episode of “1819 News: The Podcast,” Marshall discussed how state organizations can be too eager to take federal funding even if it means compromising conservative values.
“When we see that the federal government, through multiple rule-making authority and the use of their spending authority, try to dictate to Alabama what we do, there’s got to be a wake-up call to that. And, by the way, I don’t think that we’ve gotten there yet,” Marshall said. “I really don’t because it’s almost — when you talk to the bureaucracy they just want to know ‘I don't want to lose my money. I don't want to have to turn that away,' but there's this failure to recognize that it comes with strings."
Marshall said when it comes to solid red states like Alabama, the only real influence the federal government can have is through the power of the purse.
"Particularly when you have an administration like we have right now; they get it. They understand that that's their leverage because they can't do it through Congress," he said. "Their only other vehicle to be able to do that is through this area. And when you have the Department of Justice become your bulldog to try to sort of push back against states … it's important for us to be able to win these fights."
Marshall talked about the state's ongoing legal battle to protect children from harmful transgender treatments, its efforts to protect the sanctity of life and prevent sexually explicit materials from being forced on children in local libraries. For all of these issues and more, he said the answer is closer than some people may think.
"You said the word local, and I think that gets lost in our thought process because sometimes we look to D.C. for solutions or we look to Montgomery for solutions when we don't have to look far," Marshall said. "...For example, right now, the discussion around library boards. Most of the folks that are sitting, I think all the folks that are sitting on those boards are appointed by local officials. Maybe that's kind of the next revelation for many people is kind of what they're now seeing in libraries and what's going on around our state.
He continued, "The unique thing that I think we have the ability to advocate for is that we are staffing and we are engaging at the local level with people who are making those decisions that reflect the values of the community… [W]e don't ever need to lose sight of what's going on in our local communities because so many decisions are being made at that level."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com.
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