Town meeting draws slim crowd
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Eight local residents listened to an hour-long recap of the 2013 legislative session in a town hall meeting Tuesday night, and had only two questions when the recap was done.
State Sen. Jimmy Holley (R-Elba) and Rep. Mike Jones (R-Andalusia), held the town hall meeting in Andalusia, had answers to neither question.
The first was why concealed weapons permits expire on a specific date, when there are grace periods for renewing a driver’s license, car tags and other state permits.
Both Holley and Jones said they weren’t aware there is not grace period.
The second question, posed by Charles McGee, was about the Alabama Accountability Act.
“After staying very close to it from its beginning, I think it has problems and needs to be sent back to rehab,” McGee said.
The Accountability Act allows students in schools deemed “failing” to transfer to other schools, and their parents to get a tax credit if they enroll their students in private school.
“I’m not sure you can impose the compulsory attendance under this law,” McGee said.
Jones said it could be an issue that was not considered in that particular act.
The two legislators hold town hall meetings before and after each legislative session. Both said they get bigger crowds in Florala, where the events typically are attended by 60 to 70 people.