Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited the Magic City on Saturday, Feb. 27—just two days after Gov. Robert Bentley signed a bill that banned the city from raising its minimum wage to $10.10 and three days before Alabama's Democratic Primary.
Clinton took the opportunity to condemn the Republican super majority running Alabama's government.
"I want you to imagine what we could do in the country we love and here in this state," Clinton said. "Imagine that we have more great jobs that are paying a rising income to people who are working hard for them. Imagine that includes raising the minimum wage."
Clinton's campaign held the Get Out the Vote event at a gymnasium on the campus of Miles College in the Birmingham suburb of Fairfield.
At the event, she criticized a bill that passed the Alabama Senate by a vote of 23–11 on Thursday. That bill banned localities from raising their minimum wage.
"I want to commend Mayor [William] Bell," Clinton said. "He recognized that there are a lot of folks in this state who are working hard at [the] minimum wage — two-thirds of them are women — supporting themselves and their children. And yet, at the end of the year, no matter how hard they work, they are still in poverty."
Clinton's third visit to the state comes only three days before Alabamians vote in the Democratic Super Tuesday primary March 1. Alabama's decision to move its primary election to that date has invited attention from all of the remaining presidential hopefuls.
The former secretary visited the state twice last year for a luncheon fundraiser with the Alabama Democratic Conference in Hoover and for the 60th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Montgomery.
Clinton addressed the issue of higher education funding in a state that just last year transferred $80 million from its Education Trust Fund to balance its General Fund. The Education Trust Fund provides a large portion of funding for the state's higher education institutions such as Auburn.
"Let's make college affordable," Clinton said. "I have a plan so that you would be able to attend a public college or university debt-free. I do want the state to put more money back into higher education."
Unlike her opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Clinton would not make college tuition free. Clinton said her plan would allow students to attend college without taking out loans, but it would not pay for the children of millionaires to attend college for free.
"My opponent has a plan for what he calls 'free college,'" Clinton said. "I have a plan that I call a compact. I want students to work 10 hours a week because I think it's a good investment in your future. I will not ask taxpayers to pay for the education of Donald Trump's youngest child."
Clinton's plan would be a partnership between the federal and state governments where both would help cover the costs. No expense has increased like the cost of college tuition, according to Clinton.
"It's my observation that we have enough prisons," Clinton said. "We need to be investing in higher education."
Clinton also addressed the costs of student loans that burden those after they graduate.
"We're going to let you refinance your student debt," Clinton said. "You can refinance your mortgage. You can refinance your car payment. Corporations can refinance their debt, but we don't let young people refinance their debt."
Clinton was introduced today by several prominent Alabama Democrats, including Bell and Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, who is Alabama's first and only openly gay legislator. Todd represents downtown Birmingham.
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, who represents Alabama's 7th Congressional District, has been a vocal supporter of Clinton's campaign since last year.
She spoke at Clinton's event today in Fairfield and immediately hit the road for Montgomery where she introduced former President Bill Clinton at a campaign event in the state's capital.
Sewell is currently the only Democratic member of Alabama's congressional delegation.
"I want you to elect and be served by more Democrats," Clinton said
The former secretary of state will not be the only candidate candidate visiting Alabama this weekend. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is attending a candidates' forum hosted by Yellowhammer News at Samford University this afternoon.
Republican candidate Donald Trump will be in North Alabama Sunday afternoon for a rally in Madison. Trump's visit on the Sunday before the SEC primaries will mark his third visit to the Yellowhammer State as well.
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