By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—A meeting of the House Sunset Committee rescheduled so that its members could attend the Republican Convention in Cleveland this week. However, an email obtained by the Alabama Political Reporter shows that the Committee’s Republican Chairman, Howard Sanderford (R-Huntsville), is not willing to show the same courtesy to Democratic members wishing to attend their convention in Philadelphia next week.
In an email to Sanderford from Rep. Laura Hall (D-Huntsville), she wrote, “The suggested date in your initial correspondence about scheduling, Sunset Committee was for the week of the July, 18, which was during the Republican Convention but was moved to the following week which is the week of the Democratic Convention. I sent Information and dates for both convention with the hope that neither of dates would be used.”
The email indicates Sanderford sent at letter to Hall concerning rescheduling the meeting, which she found offensive: “I have received your letter and the response indicating what may be interpreted in a manner that quite frankly we don’t need in Alabama at this present time.”
Hall, first elected to the House in 1993, has been part of the process under Democrats, and for the last six years with Republicans in charge. Her email to Sanderson points out, “The Sunset Committee over the years has demonstrated bipartisanship by electing chairs from the minority party and respected conferences/conventions that members were involved in.”
She tried encouraging Sanderford by saying, “Let’s work together to make sure no party Democratic or Republican members are excluded because of a conflict with the process where each party nominates a candidate for the highest office in the free world.”
In conclusion Hall wrote, “It is Senator Figures and my hope that you would want to create an environment of cooperation during these turbulent times in Alabama.”
APR’s email to Sanderson was unanswered.
Sanderson’s silence speaks loudly.
