Congratulations on your election. Public service is a high calling but as recent history has shown, it can get you in trouble in a heartbeat. So as an ex-legislator who has survived his career and is now safe in “Bucks Pocket,” here is a little advice.
1. Watch out for all the “new friends” you suddenly have acquired. They are friends who want something from you. You don’t work for them, even if they gave money for your campaign. Don’t forget you are there for your neighbors who actually voted for you.
Read Proverbs 27:5-6 once a day. It was written for politicians.
2. If you are a family man and are invited to an event where your spouse is not welcome — don’t go.
3. Judge not. Do not get in the business of assigning bad motives to people that disagree with you. It makes listening impossible.
4. Make it a point to buck your own leadership at least once a session. If you are voting with them 100 percent of the time, you’ve stopped thinking.
5. Beware of becoming a consultant. You aren’t any smarter now than you were before you got elected. If someone offers you money to “consult,” turn it down. It’s a bribe, and it could land you in jail. The Ethics Law can be summed up simply: “Thou shalt not use your position as a legislator to enrich yourself.” Don’t.
6. Pay your own way. Always.
7. Be nice to your legislative assistant. Your career is in their hands.
8. Listen to the other side, sometimes they are right.
9. Take time to get to know the pages, and always, always make time for school groups even if they aren’t from your district. It will make your day a lot more fun.
10. Keep your sense of humor. Remember that the state Legislature is just the AA baseball of politics. The really important stuff is back home, so don’t let politics ruin your good name. Keep it in good condition.
Brewbaker is the president and CEO of Brewbaker Motors in Montgomery. He served two terms in both the Alabama House of Representatives (2003-07) and the Alabama Senate (2010-18). He would have easily won re-election but chose not to run.
