Senators work in the chamber of the Alabama Senate on Feb. 20, 2024 in Montgomery, Alabama. The Alabama Legislature will begin its 2025 regular session in February. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)
It’s hard to keep a sense of hope as a political journalist. It’s even harder when you ply your trade in Alabama.
But this is the holiday season, a time of expectation and warm feelings. And waiting for all of us is the Alabama Legislature, which begins its 2025 regular session in less than six weeks.
The return of our lawmakers may not inspire warm feelings in you. Nor should it lead to high expectations. The last several sessions have been marked by performative cruelty against transgender youth and educators. I don’t see anything changing that dynamic in the current year.
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But that doesn’t mean we should give up. Public officials are there to serve the public. And we can and should expect them to address real issues.
So here’s my Christmas wishlist for the Alabama Legislature in 2025. These are ideals, not predictions. I’m not so dumb as to expect any politician to conduct themselves idealistically. Consider this a thought experiment, an imagining of what a responsible and productive group of lawmakers would do.