By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Qualifying for State office began early on Monday, January 13, 2014. Numerous candidates have paraded through Alabama Republican Party Headquarters in Hoover to file the necessary paperwork to run as Republicans in the June 3 Republican Primary.
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange (R) was one of the first candidates to qualify. Attorney General Strange is seeking a second term as Alabama’s Attorney General. The Alabama Political Reporter asked the Attorney General if marijuana legalization would help the prison overcrowding situation that faces state government. AG Strange said that he did not think that would help the State’s situation. Strange said that marijuana and other drug legalization would only lead to more problems. “The Colorado experiment will ultimately backfire,” the Attorney General said.
The Alabama Political Reporter asked if the state law enforcement streamlining legislation that decreased the number of State law enforcement agencies from 22 to just 5 would help the Attorney General’s office do its job.
Strange said that ultimately it would. Strange said that Alabama Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh and the other leaders in the State house had promised him that they would plow the savings back into salaries and benefits for the state troopers and other law enforcement officers.
The Alabama Political Reporter asked Strange what solution he favored to decrease prison overcrowding. Strange said that he planned to talk with the district attorneys to get their advice on the best solution to the prison crowding issue before making a recommendation. Strange said that his focus is on keeping the public safe and that he favored allowing judges to continue to have discretion in whether to imprison a felon or to send him or her to other programs.
On his expediting the death penalty proposal AG Strange said, “The last thing I want is innocent people on death row,” but that justice should be done in a more timely manner. Luther said there are too many cases where there is no doubt about guilt, but the punishment is delayed by ten and sometimes over twenty years. Strange said that he, “Is all about the victims and making sure that justice is done.”
Strange said that if he is reelected his goals would be to keep the people safe and to hold Washington accountable. Strange said that here in Alabama our focus is on protecting the Constitution, but that that was not a priority to many people in Washington. Strange said that when the federal government exceeded its bounds under the U.S. Constitution he would hold the federal government accountable.
