By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Former Shelby County Republican Party Chairman Matt Fridy spoke to the membership of the Rainy Day Patriots on Thursday about his candidacy for State Representative for House District 62.
Matt Fridy (R) said that he is a lawyer who specializes in constitutional law for the law firm of Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff, and Brandt.
Fridy said, “I will be honest with you. I have my political views and what I believe I will fight for.” Fridy said that he will not tell you do one thing and then do the opposite in Montgomery.
Fridy said that his firm is defending Governor Bentley (R) against the Alabama Education Association (AEA). The Republican super-majority passed a law banning the state from collecting AEA union dues from education employees. The powerful education worker’s union filed suit and found a liberal federal judge to file an injunction blocking the law from going into effect. Governor Bentley then hired Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff, and Brandt to defend the law.
Fridy said, “Every day it is great to get out of bed and go to fight the AEA.” I do some lawsuits where businesses are fighting over money, but that he gets excited about fighting the AEA.
Fridy said that he is married to his wife Kimberly and they have four children: 7, 6, 5, and an infant.
Fridy said, “I am Pro-life because I believe life begins at conception.” Fridy said that life has intrinsic value because of what it is and that opposing abortion is the issue that he is most passionate about. Both of Fridy’s parents have been arrested for their activities with Operation Rescue. Fridy said that holding a Pro-Life sign in front of an abortion clinic and watching his parents get arrested for their beliefs made a huge impression on him growing up. Fridy said, “Abortion is the exact same thing as marching a one year old or a five year old and putting it to death.”
Fridy said that he was active in the College Republicans when he was a student at the University of Montevallo. Fridy called being a conservative Republican at Montevallo at the time, “a lonely endeavor.”
Fridy got involved in Republican politics in Shelby County and was elected Chairman of Shelby County Republican Party in 2004. After his term as Chairman ended he started working in Republican Primaries
Fridy said that he managed campaigns for people but that he never charged anything. He tried to pick candidates with a conservative philosophy and never wanted to get paid for it because he could walk away if he found out the candidate was not what he or she appeared to be, though that never happened..
Fridy said that he helped April Weaver win her seat representing Shelby and Bibb counties in an open seat when Cam Ward vacated the seat to move to the Senate.
Fridy said that helped Kurt Wallace win a state house seat in Chilton County. Wallace ran against incumbent Jimmy Martin (D) and everyone told them that Martin was unbeatable. Kurt Wallace was the mayor of Maplesville and Martin was the owner of the biggest funeral home in Chilton County. Despite that Wallace worked hard and he was a good conservative guy. Both Wallace and Fridy raised what funds they could and also got some resources from the state party. Wallace raised $150,000 and Martin raised around $150,000. Fridy said, “We beat him on conservative philosophy.” Some conservative groups wanted to go negative, but Kurt Wallace refused. Fridy said that they did 8 or 9 mail pieces and their consultant wanted to go negative, but Wallace refused. It was 2010 so. “There was a lot of wind at our backs, but that does not explain a 30 pt victory.”
Fridy said that he also helped Mike Bess get on the Shelby County Commission and Marty Hamlin win to be the Mayor of Alabaster.
Fridy told the Patriots, “Get involved, but don’t look to make money in politics.”
Mr. Fridy said that he is pro-traditional marriage though he does not like that term. “Marriage makes no sense outside of a man and a woman. Marriage is intrinsically procreative.” Fridy said that society accepts that the best way to raise children is in a loving traditional marriage. The purpose of marriage is not two friends who get together and they like to have sex.
Fridy said that it is important for conservatives to engage the world. Liberals have taken the media. They have taken the school system. Fridy said that he loves the way that the Rainy Day Patriots get out and engage.
Fridy said I am a big believer in education, but that we need innovation. “You nationalize something and they are all marching in lockstep.” Fridy said he has talked to a lot of people about common core and come to the conclusion that it is just a bad idea. Every state should maintain its own sovereignty and maintain it’s own education curriculum.
Fridy said that Alabama students need to finish school and be ready for college or be ready for a trade.
Fridy praised Gov. Bentley for attracting jobs to Alabama that are well paid. The starting pay for someone with an associates degree in robotics is $80-$85,000. Schools need to prepare college bound students for college. Too many have to take remedial educational.
Fridy said that he supports harder standards, but simply being harder does not make it the best way to do things. “Learning 14 different ways to add 3 plus 4 is just silly.”
Fridy said that he is a big believer in school choice. “Competition could be the key to raising our standards.” Fridy said that the Alabama Accountability Act is a good first step, but that he is a firm believer in vouchers. He said that he also supports the rights of families to home school their children.
Fridy said that he has been lucky to afford to send his children to an academy school where they are instructed in Latin starting in the second grade and they study logic, rhetoric, and the classics. It is a proven system that works and is how people were educated 200 years ago. Fridy said that he wants every parent to have the same choice.
Fridy said that although he does not actually own any guns he believes in the Second Amendment. He is also a big believer in property rights. Fridy said that it was an unforgivable use of eminent domain to take property and give it to a private company for economic development. He called that a gross use of eminent domain and if elected he would propose a state Constitutional amendment preventing that from ever happening again in Alabama.
Fridy said that he is opposed to the nationalization that has been going on since the 1930s. The federal government should have defined limited powers.
Fridy said that when you have a federal government that has 800,000 federal workers that they can furlough because they are non-essential, ten you have a government that is just too big.
On global warming, Fridy said that the left should have made only long term predictions, because all of their predictions are being prove false.
Fridy said that he plans on building relationships with other legislators to try to get things done in Montgomery. Fridy said, “I have got a good relationship with Mike Hubbard.”
Fridy said that he is not in favor of a statewide constitutional convention and had not read enough to know if he supports a national constitutional convention. Fridy said that he does support a state constitutional rewrite article for article.
Melody Warbington introduced Matt Fridy. Warbington said, “I have known Matt Fridy for a few years now and I can say that he is solidly a conservative.” Ms. Warbington said that Fridy is Pro-life, for low taxes, and that she knows that he is a staunch supporter of school choice and is for bringing education closer to the people.
The Rainy Day Patriots Legislative Director Ann Eubanks made several announcements:
Dr. Gina Loudon will be holding a book signing Friday at Hoover Tactical Firearms at 5:30 pm.
On October 24th, the St. Clair County Republican Party will be meeting at 6:00 pm at the Moody Park Pavilion. Some state candidates are expected to attend.
On November 12th the Rainy Day Patriots will have a meet and great with conservative candidates at the Homewood Library.
The Dean Young for Congress Campaign is asking the Rainy Day Patriots to go to South Alabama to campaign door to door for Young in his Republican Primary Runoff race against Bradley Berne.
The Rainy Day Patriots are till looking for a venue for their Christmas Party.
In January, the Rainy Day Patriots will move their meeting to Hoover Tactical Firearms.
