By Chip Brownlee
Alabama Political Reporter
Sen. Doug Jones, Alabama’s first Democratic senator in a quarter-century, is set to embark on his first statewide tour this week, planning to hit locations in Mobile, Montgomery, Mobile, Birmingham and Selma.
Jones will visit military bases and installations, rural hospitals and clinics, infrastructure and military and military contractors.
“It’s been a privilege to represent Alabama in Washington, but there’s nothing like getting home and hearing from folks first-hand,” Jones said of the trip. “I’m eager to hit the road and visit with as many Alabamians across the state as I can next week. We’re going to focus on the issues that are most important to our communities, from healthcare to jobs to education.”
Jones’ first stops on Monday will be in Mobile, where he is set to visit defense shipbuilder Austal USA at 3 p.m. and later have a roundtable discussion at 4:30 p.m. with students at the historically black college Bishop State College.
On Tuesday, Jones will continue his tour in Selma and Centreville where he will host a roundtable discussion on infrastructure, health care and education with Selma Mayor Dario Melton at the Selma Performing Arts Center at 10 a.m. At 2 p.m., he’ll tour the Rural Health Medical Program in Selma and the Cahaba Medical Care Foundation at 4:15 p.m.
Access to affordable health care and working on economic development projects were two of Jones’ biggest platform points during his campaign last year.
Later in the week, on Wednesday, Jones will visit an Alabama Air National Guard post in Birmingham, Northwest Shoals Community College Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program in Muscle Shoals and host a roundtable with students at Northwest Shoals Community College in Muscle Shoals.
The new senator will tour the FBI’s Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center, the Missile Defense Agency and NASA on Thursday in Huntsville. And on Friday, he’ll visit with the YMCA Alabama Youth Legislature in Montgomery.
