MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama House Republican Caucus unveiled its 2025 policy agenda on Monday with a strong focus on increasing labor participation, reducing crime and opposing efforts to repeal existing election security laws, among other items.
With a supermajority in the Legislature, the House GOP caucus identified eight priorities for the upcoming legislative session, a list that was developed by an ad hoc platform committee of Republican House members co-chaired by Reps. Kerry Underwood, R-Tuscumbia, and James Lomax, R-Huntsville.
“Because our Republican members came forward with so many quality bills, measures, and proposals that deserved inclusion, the agenda committee decided to outline broad principles in our agenda rather than individual pieces of legislation,” Underwood and Lomax said in a joint statement.
The ‘Alabama Values’ agenda items include increasing labor participation, deterring illegal immigration, strengthening election security, improving public safety, expanding public education programs, supporting veterans, pushing back against “woke” regulations and rulings by federal agencies and judges, and supporting pro-life, anti-abortion measures.
“The ‘Alabama Values’ name represents the conservative beliefs and values that most Alabamians embrace, but, at the same time, it also represents the morals and principles that we ‘value’ as a people,” House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, said in a statement.
“Our caucus members stand unanimous in support of this agenda, and we look forward to promoting these conservative ideas and beliefs throughout the upcoming session and beyond.”
Republican lawmakers have already previewed potential legislation that would likely fall under one of the caucus’ eight agenda items.
Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, told Alabama Daily News that on deterring illegal immigration, he is helping to organize legislation in the House to address illegal migration, enhance E-Verify compliance, and support local communities that see an influx of immigrants, much like what happened last year in his district when an influx of Haitian immigrants relocated to Sylacuaga under a federal refugee program.
On improving public safety and reducing crime, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, unveiled this month that he and other members of legislative leadership were hard at work on what would likely become a seven-bill package to address violent crime. Ledbetter said that the package would be filed “pretty quick” into the session, and that it would focus on law enforcement hiring and retention and the expansion of crime suppression groups.
Underwood, who co-chaired the ad hoc platform committee, told ADN Monday that he foresaw more bi-partisan support this year on some of the “Alabama Values” agenda items, particularly with efforts to improve public safety.
“There are many times that House Democrats and Republicans have unanimous votes, and (improving public safety) would be one,” Underwood told ADN. “As far as working together, I’m glad to hear that the House minority leadership has been working closely with (Ledbetter on improving public safety), and I’m not surprised that we all want safety for all of us in Alabama.”
The House Democratic Caucus will unveil its priorities this afternoon at the State House.
“We are excited to build on the many successes we had last legislative session and to tackle the urgent and important issues facing Alabama,” caucus chair Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, said in a written statement. “Our legislative platform clearly lays out our objectives when it comes to increasing economic opportunity, expanding access to affordable health care, investing in public education, increasing voter turnout and ensuring that our justice system is fair and humane.”