CENTRE — Dist. 39 state Rep. Richard Lindsey (D-Centre) said he hopes to see more of a spirit of compromise from the Alabama Legislature's new Republican majorities when the 2011 regular session resumes this week.

So far, the former head of the House Education Budget Committee said during an exclusive interview, there is a palpable sense in Montgomery that the Republicans' legislative agenda so far has been designed to punish Paul Hubbert and the Alabama Education Association for years of opposing the GOP agenda.

“Think back to the special session called by Gov. Riley in January,” Lindsey said. “What happened there was they took away the rights of the AEA and other organizations to automatically deduct their membership dues and political contributions.”

Lindsey said two bills that were high on the Republicans' agenda – one to create a rolling reserve in the Education budget and another to eliminate the state's deferred retirement program (DROP) – are aimed squarely at Hubbert, but are hurting a lot of hardworking Alabamians in the process.

“Those were seen as punitive towards the AEA,” Lindsey said. “I've never seen bills that are so complex, that will have impact on so many, pushed through so quickly.”

Lindsey, who's been the representative for Dist. 39 since 1983, said the GOP's exuberance over taking control of the Legislature for the first time in 136 years may have caused some to forget the cyclical nature of politics.

“I have never thought that taking vengeance out on someone was the way to accomplish good things,” Lindsey said. “That's the way I see this. These kinds of things will come back to get you every time.”

The rolling reserve bill has been lauded by Republicans as a way to end proration in the state's Education budget by averaging sales tax income – which is used to fund Alabama schools – over a 15-year period.

Lindsey said he doubts the new law will work as advertised.

“That's a myth,” Lindsey said. “It will not prevent proration. It may make it less common over the long-haul, but that really depends on what happens with the state's economy.”

Lindsey predicted the Republican party's insistence on beginning the rolling reserve during a sluggish economy will soon backfire.

“I predicted in my speech on the House floor that we will be back in about five years to repeal the law, and I honestly believe that,” he said. “Once the economy recovers I think we will see a lot of money being put aside instead of going into the classroom where it should be.”

Lindsey said amendments that would have delayed implementation of the rolling reserve until the economy has had more time to recover were cast aside by Republicans.

Regarding the elimination of the DROP program, Lindsey said being from the northeast corner of the state gives him an insight into the program's benefits that other legislators from central Alabama apparently don't have.

“We have kept a lot of good teachers, and other state employees, in their positions who otherwise would have retired and gone right across the state line,” Lindsey said. “Instead of Georgia being the beneficiary of all those good, qualified people, we were able to keep them here with DROP.”

Lindsey said an amendment to the bill calls for establishing a committee to look at creating a similar retirement program exclusively for teachers. But he said he isn't so sure the group will ever actually get together.

“Hopefully they will come back and look at that aspect of it,” Lindsey said. “But I really feel like that was just window dressing.”

Lindsey said being in the minority could make the job of supporting his district more challenging going forward.

“Our position is very much changed, regarding what we have to do to make a difference,” Lindsey said. “But as I have been telling people, there are a lot of different ways to get things done in the Legislature.”

Lindsey said he has always been willing to work with his peers across the aisle and hopes the GOP's early strong-arm tactics will ease up over time.

“So far, it's basically been their way or the highway,” Lindsey said. “I'm going to work with the Republicans as best I can to achieve the goals we need to accomplish. Whether they will work with Democrats, and with me individually, remains to be seen.”

Lindsey said Alabamians who follow state politics may want to pay special attention to Montgomery beginning this week, when the Legislature reconvenes after observing spring break.

“Next thing, I think, is going to be the budgets,” Lindsey said. “Probably the next two weeks will be consumed by working on the Education and General Fund budgets.