Alabama senator warns House cuts have eliminated local appropriations for majority-minority districts

Senator Roger Smitherman, a Democrat from Birmingham, spent more than an hour on the Senate floor warning that changes made in the House to the governor—s recommended general fund have zeroed out funding for multiple local projects and (he said) disproportionately affected members of the minority caucus.

Smitherman said the House removed appropriations for a string of community projects and cultural programs that had been included in the governor—s proposal. He read a list of line items he said were eliminated, including funding he said was intended for the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum, the Jazz Hall of Fame and other county projects, and said the pattern appeared to follow geography and caucus lines. "All the ones I'm running across being eliminated is the members of the minority caucus," Smitherman said on the floor.

Why it matters: Smitherman framed the cuts as more than budget arithmetic, saying they affect jobs, cultural institutions and county services. He told colleagues that local bills and local projects become harder to advance later in the session and urged early action in future sessions: "If they get everything to me early and I'm able to introduce it on day 1 ... maybe it's about a 95% chance we'll get that bill through the process. And every day we meet, it goes down about 5%."

Smitherman described past instances where similar budget maneuvers removed local funding and said he would use procedural tools available in the Senate to press for corrections if the conference committee did not restore items they deemed appropriate. He also said he had initiated behind-the-scenes discussions with leaders seeking a review of the House changes; later in the day he reported a review process had begun.

The speech occurred during the Senate's consideration of local bills on the special order calendar and followed several brief local-bill votes. Smitherman repeatedly emphasized that his remarks reflected items he had identified in the House general fund document that had been reported out of committee.

Quotes: "All the ones I'm running across being eliminated is the members of the minority caucus," Smitherman said. He also told colleagues: "Don't wait. Don't wait. ... The later we get in the session, the more likely something like this comes up."

What Senate leaders said: The Senate president and several members acknowledged Smitherman's concerns on the floor; later, Senator Roger M. Smitherman said he had discussed the matter with the pro tem and that a review was underway.

Next steps: Smitherman asked colleagues to watch the conference process and said he would press to have appropriations restored where necessary. He asked the chamber to remain ready to act if the conference committee reports back with an outcome he described as "ropey dope," a floor phrase he used to describe what he called misleading assurances during budget negotiations.

Ending: The Senate proceeded with the local bill calendar after Smitherman's remarks. At least one senator said leadership and staff were working to address the concerns Smitherman raised, and Smitherman said a review of the House action was in progress.