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A spirit that is not afraid

Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey 'disappointed' in Gov. Robert Bentley

<p>Kay Ivey, Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, in her office in Montgomery, Ala. on Tuesday, April 12, 2016.</p>

Kay Ivey, Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, in her office in Montgomery, Ala. on Tuesday, April 12, 2016.


If Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley steps down or is removed from office, Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey — an Auburn alumna — will be sworn in to replace him, according to the Alabama Constitution.

On April 5, three Alabama representatives began the process of impeaching Bentley, filing a resolution for articles of impeachment in the House. If the process continues, Bentley could be removed from office by the Senate.

Bentley has apologized numerous times for an inappropriate relationship he maintained with one of his senior advisers, Rebekah Caldwell Mason, since the scandal broke in late March.

In one of her first sit-down interviews since the scandal broke, the state's second-in-command told The Plainsman she was prepared to serve.

"Judge not, that ye be not judged," Ivey said. "We're all very disappointed in the governor's activities and actions. They speak for themselves. It saddens me that the highest office in the land is receiving such low marks right now."

Rep. Ed Henry's resolution to impeach Bentley must first pass through the House Rules Committee, but Henry, House Democratic minority leader Craig Ford and many other Alabama lawmakers have repeatedly called for the governor to resign.

"That's his call [whether to resign]," Ivey said.

Bentley has repeatedly denied a physical relationship and has disputed allegations of illegal misuse of state funds to facilitate the affair. Bentley was also accused of obstructing a corruption investigation into Speaker Mike Hubbard by the Alabama attorney general's office by former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Spencer Collier.

"It causes people to erode their confidence in their government and elected officials," Ivey said. "It's not a good time — very disappointing."

Elective experience

Ivey has served in state government in one form or another since 1979.

In 2002, Ivey ran as a Republican for state treasurer. She was elected and served in former Gov. Bob Riley's cabinet from 2003 to January 2011.

In 2010, Ivey initially planned to run against Bentley, Rep. Bradley Byrne and Chief Justice Roy Moore, among others, in the Republican primary for governor, but she then decided early in the primary to run for lieutenant governor instead.

Ivey went on to defeat former governor and Democratic incumbent Jim Folsom Jr. in a statewide Republican sweep.

"I thought, 'Lord have mercy, his family has been around for 50 years, [and] he's got more money than I'll ever have,'" Ivey said. "My passion was to serve the public and try to make a difference."

Along with Bentley, Ivey was re-elected in 2014 for a second term. As lieutenant governor, Ivey presides over the Alabama State Senate, a job she said is rewarding.

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"It's a joy to be a part of progress and moving things forward," Ivey said. "I can't introduce a bill. I can't vote on a bill except in a case of a tie, but it's rewarding to be a part of progress and trying to keep things smoothly running."

Ivey first moved to Montgomery in February 1979 to serve in then-governor Fob James' office as the assistant director of the Alabama Development Office. Later, she served as the reading clerk of the Alabama House and then served with the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

The lieutenant governor also serves as the spokesperson for End Child Hunger in Alabama, an initiative launched from Auburn University's Hunger Solutions Institute.

Ivey gained experience in the private banking sectors as the first female president of Alabama Young Bankers. She went on to pilot a financial literacy program she started years earlier in Alabama across several states for the American Bankers Association.

As chair of the Alabama Job Creation and Military Stability Commission, Ivey said she works to ensure that Alabama is prepared for the possibility of base realignment and closure, which would affect the state's four military bases.

"My plate is pretty full right now," Ivey said.

A balanced budget in Alabama

The Alabama Legislature has struggled for years to balance the state budget, despite Republicans maintaining a unified state government, with a super majority in the Legislature and the governor's office since 2010.

In 2015, it took the Legislature two extra special sessions to pass a budget. In the final budget, $80 million was transferred from the Education Trust Fund, the budget that funds the state's public schools, colleges and universities.

This year, the Legislature passed a budget in its regular session, but the budget was vetoed by Bentley because of a lack of funding for corrections and Medicaid. The Legislature overrode his veto.

"You need money," Ivey said. "There is a lack of money. When you've got plenty of money, it's not nearly as hard to put together a budget. The General Fund has a real deficit every year. It struggles."

Property, sales, income and gas taxes in Alabama measure in at near the lowest in the country. Since 2010, the Legislature has repeatedly refused to raise taxes, despite a request from Bentley last year that would have raised close to $700 million in revenue.

"There's just been no appetite to increase people's taxes here," Ivey said. "[Bentley's proposal] just didn't go anywhere. At some point in time, if things get bad enough and people get frustrated enough, they may change their mind, but elected officials in the Legislature mirror their constituents back home."

On the issues

In Bentley's State of the State address, he outlined a plan to replace Alabama's aging prison system with four new, state-of-the-art facilities. Three of the new prisons would be men's prisons, and one would be a women's prison.

The Alabama Prison Transformation Initiative Act was passed by the Senate on April 5. It is now under review in the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee.

"Goodness knows we need to find better ways to house and manage our prisoners, as well as those who protect: the guards," Ivey said. "We'll see where it goes. The prison situation has got to be dealt with."

According to Ivey, the corrections and Medicaid systems in Alabama continue to grow and consume increasing percentages of the state's General Fund Budget.

"Medicaid now consumes 40 percent of the entire General Fund Budget, and we can't afford that now," Ivey said. "We don't have enough money to do all that you want to do. There are a million people covered by Medicaid now, and 70 percent of those are children."

During initial budget proceedings this spring, the Alabama Medicaid Agency requested $785 million, according to an AL.com article — an increase of $100 million from the previous budget.

"Have you seen anybody spell out why we need 85 million more dollars, to do what?" Ivey said. "I haven't seen that. I'm sure there's a need, but they haven't [shown why]."

Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, has proposed a bill in the House that would allow students with a concealed carry permit to carry concealed, loaded pistols on Auburn's campus. The University Senate passed a resolution last month in opposition of Butler's bill.

"I have a pistol permit, but I don't just go around toting it," Ivey said. "I'm all for protecting yourself, but you don't want to get immature folks connected with getting emotional or something."


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