Senate bill draws fire over involvement of Alabama Farmers Federation

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, speaks in the Alabama Senate on April 16, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

A bill creating a new entity to operate a farm center drew a lengthy filibuster from Alabama Senate Democrats on Tuesday, who expressed concerns about the involvement of the Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA).

SB 219, sponsored by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville would create the Agriculture Exhibition Center Corporation to operate the Alabama Farm Center. The Alabama Farm Center will serve as a regional agricultural center at Hallmark Farm in Jefferson County.

“It’s going to bring in rodeos, all kinds of events, educational events for kids and forming, hopefully, a big economic development project for the area,” Shelnutt said on Thursday. “They’ll bring people from out of state to visit our great state.”

The corporation would have one member appointed by the governor; one appointed by the commissioner of agriculture and industries, “a farmer and resident” appointed by the Jefferson County Commission; one member appointed by the Senate Minority Leader and one by the minority leader of the House of Representatives.

Each member would serve a term of five years, except for the initial members. The governor’s appointee would serve one year. The commissioner of agriculture and industries’ would serve two years. The one appointed by the local county would serve three years. ALFA’s appointees would serve four and five years.

The bill passed the chamber 26-0, with four abstentions, but not after over two hours of debate. Two of the corporation members would be appointed by ALFA, and their choices would serve four and five years respectively, far longer than those appointed by public officials.

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, who objected to the provision, slowed Senate proceedings prior to the bill reaching the floor, and led the later filibuster.

“This organization gets away with everything,” he said. “But nobody over there sees anything wrong with what I’m pointing out here to you this afternoon. You don’t even see a problem with a non-public entity (that) gets two appointments, and theirs are for the longest years, four and five years. The governor gets one year and one appointment.”

Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, speaks to Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville on the floor of the Alabama Senate on April 18, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

Shelnutt said that ALFA represents the farmers.

Shelnutt said Thursday he thought the floor debate was more about ALFA than the legislation itself.

“Some senators have issues with maybe some Farmers Federation, you know, they got issues with, that was mainly the issue,” he said. “That’s politics.”

Singleton said Thursday he has a “real problem” with a private entity having more appointments than the governor.

“I’m not adamantly opposed to the concept,” he said. “But there were things in the bill that I was adamantly opposed to: tax structures, the ability for this committee to be the powers that it had and the fact that it was going to be tax exempt at every level.”

On the floor, Singleton had accused his Republican colleagues of being afraid of being primaried. ALFA is very influential in Alabama Republican circles. The group is a vocal opponent of gambling legislation, which had been a focus for many lawmakers this session.

“That is one of the baddest things that I’ve ever seen is the Republican primary,” said Singleton. “They got y’all scared. Don’t nobody want to be replaced. Nobody want to stand on principles.”

In response to questions, a spokesperson for ALFA sent previously published articles about ALFA signing a contract for the Farm Center and one about the bills awaiting action. ALFA President Jimmy Parnell was not available for comment Friday.

“ The Alabama Farm Center will be the culmination of hard work and dedication of promoting agriculture by many state ag organizations, departments and partners,” Alabama Farmers Federation Agricultural Legislation Director Preston Roberts was quoted saying in the latter article.

The bill received multiple amendments from Democrats on the floor.

S en. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, added two amendments: one that would subject the corporation to audits and examinations every two years and one that would have it pay taxes. Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, offered an amendment adding the minority leaders as appointing authorities. The amendments passed.

Shelnutt also added an amendment to the bill that he described as being largely clarifying and adding that it was severable, or parts of the bill could be declared invalid without undoing all of it.

Singleton said Thursday that the amendments did not assuage many of his concerns. He said the Senate had the votes to pass the bill and the vote to cloture him.

He also said that some Democrats from Jefferson County supported the bill. Singleton said he wanted to send a message without standing completely in the way.

“I still think it’s a bad bill and bad precedent to set in the state, so they’ll move forward with it and hopefully that it works for them,” he said.

The bill moves to the House of Representatives.

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