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GUEST EDITORIAL Taking care of the people's business I am proud to accept the high honor to serve as your lieutenant governor. You have entrusted to me a great responsibility, both as president of the Alabama Senate and as a constitutional officer in the state's executive branch. I take these responsibilities seriously. I will be a full-time lieutenant governor and give our citizens a day's work for a day's pay. My staff and I come early and stay late to work on the people's priorities. This column is the first of many monthly columns that I plan to share while serving. As president of the state Senate, I will bring order and decorum to Alabama's upper chamber. The people of Alabama want their state senators to conduct themselves in a courteous and cooperative manner. This Senate will be a working and productive body, carrying out the will of the people with professionalism and civility. The president pro-tem of the Senate, Sen. Del Marsh, is manager of the members of the Senate and presided during the Senate's recent organizational session. Under the new Senate rules adopted at that time, the lieutenant governor retains much of its previous authority along with several expanded responsibilities. As a result, I have pledged my full cooperation to Sen. Marsh and other leaders. Under the new rules of the Senate, it will be my responsibility to refer each bill to its appropriate committee, appoint one of three members to the Conference Committee, and serve as one of six members in the Committee on Assignments. It will also be my duty to appoint all eleven Senate members to the Reapportionment Committee, as well as appointments to numerous permanent legislative committees. The Senate leaders and members are to be commended for new Senate rules that require all committee meetings and their agendas to be posted at least 24 hours before the committee meets to consider its agenda. This process is to ensure the transparency essential to effective government. Petty politics, backroom deals, and “walking” bills out of committee will no longer have a place in the Alabama Senate. The power of this gavel rests in you, the people. I have been given the gavel of the Senate, but I know it is actually the people's gavel. I will treat everyone in the Senate fairly, regardless of political party or seniority. It is most powerful when you are engaged. Your duty does not end once you leave the polling booth. To achieve the people's priorities, you must remain connected with us. Show us you care and give us your specific expectations. The people's money and the people's government are the people's business. Please visit my website, http://ltgov.alabama.gov, to keep up with my activities. Live sessions of the state Senate are available for online viewing by visiting http://legislature.state.al.us. Again, let me say that I am honored to serve as the lieutenant governor of the great state of Alabama. Kay Ivey is the Republican lieutenant governor of Alabama.
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