As the first Regular Session of the Quadrennium evolves there are a myriad of complex issues arising. I am reminded of three simple truisms regarding the Alabama legislature and the governing of the state.
First of all, if anything significant or controversial or any major initiative is to be addressed then it is dealt with in the first year of the four-year quadrennium, giving legislators three years before their constituents vote again. The political pragmatism and expectation is voters will forget.
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