Arthur Orr

State Senator

Thank you for the honor of serving you again in Montgomery. I look forward to the opening of County Line Road/I-565 interchange in Madison, completion of the Alabama Center for the Arts Building (Phase II) in Decatur, completion of the Robotics Technology Park (Phase III) in Limestone County, improving the river bridge intersection and causeway between Morgan and Limestone counties and announcing new economic development projects like Polaris in January of this year. In addition to these and other milestones, I would like to share some key bills I will be introducing this Regular Session.

Getting the State out of the retail liquor business. With almost 600 private retail liquor stores, why do we have 170+ State stores competing to sell the same product? We could save the State $15 – $20 million (eliminating employees, leases, equipment, utilities, insurance, etc.) and ramp up enforcement to insure underage drinking doesn’t increase. (Several studies I have reviewed from conservative groups rebut the presumption of increased consumption.)

Allow teleconferencing for State meetings. Citizens spend a lot of time on the road attending official State Commission and Board meetings. However, they cannot attend by phone or Skype and must physically attend every meeting to be considered present. Without violating the open meetings law, we can save the State millions of dollars each year in transportation and expense reimbursements by allowing people to attend electronically.

Establish a data breach notification law. If a business computer system is hacked, Alabama is one of three states with no law to require large corporations who do business in Alabama to notify you that your confidential information has been compromised. Your credit card number, driver’s license number, date of birth and other vital information can be sold by hackers leaving you exposed to identity theft and financial loss. I will be introducing a bill to require notice to consumers so you can take defensive measures to preserve your credit and identity.

Help law enforcement get drugged drivers off the road. Alabama has no standards to assist law enforcement to get drivers under the influence of drugs off the roads – like we do for those under the influence of alcohol. A bill I will sponsor helps set clear presumptive standards (like .08 blood alcohol content for DUI) to get those off the road who would endanger us all by driving while impaired with drugs.

Other bills I will be promoting include increased funding for gifted education, a junior college scholarship program for early high school graduates, financing for roads and bridges and a common sense bill to moderate pay-day and title-loan lending rates.

In closing, if I can ever be of assistance or if you want to contact me, please do so at one of the following telephone numbers 256-260-2147 or 334-242-7891 or by email through my website: www.arthurorr.com.

Arthur Orr is a state senator serving the third district of Alabama.