The Alabama Legislature meets in regular session for 15 weeks every year, and although the duties of a state lawmaker encompass more than just those days, the schedule does leave time for most to hold another job.
About two-thirds of the 104 state representatives list another occupation besides their elected position.
For most, it is the job they had when they were elected as lawmakers.
About two dozen legislators own businesses. A dozen representatives are attorneys, the most common specific occupation.
The House has two pastors, two cops, a farmer, a pharmacist, an architect, an optometrist, and a certified public accountant.
Rep. Matthew Hammett, a first-term Republican from Dozier in south Alabama, lists his occupation as “well-driller.” Hammett is co-owner of a company that drills, repairs and services water wells.
House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said the range of professional experience is a bonus when he appoints representatives to committees that handle specific areas of legislation, like the Education Policy Committee, for example.
“Just about everybody on that committee has got a background in education of some kind, whether it’s a four-year school or two-year school or K-12,” Ledbetter said. “We’re blessed to have that kind of folks that can step in any role. Of course, certainly (the) Judiciary (Committee) is full of lawyers. You’ve got some police officers on there, too. I think it takes a mixture of that.
“It certainly represents the people across the state. It gives people the ability to work in what they’re familiar with and what would be their wheelhouse at a regular job.”
The Alabama Legislature’s annual sessions include up to 30 meeting days within a 105-day period. The sessions start in January, February, or March, and last into the spring.
That does not include special sessions called by the governor, work on committees that meet outside of sessions, or fielding calls and requests from people who live in their districts.
Legislative salaries for this year will be $59,674. The amount is adjusted annually based on the median household income in Alabama.
Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, has served in the Legislature since 1994. He sold his business, an oil distributorship, a few years ago and no longer has a full-time job other than being a legislator.
Clouse said it is challenging to be a legislator and hold another full-time job, particularly for those in leadership positions. Clouse was chairman of the House General Fund committee for 10 years.
“There’s always some type of crisis that pops up and some type of revenue surprise that hits the budget, whether it’s education or General Fund, that you’ve got to stay on top of,” Clouse said. “And you have all these other groups that have line items in the budget. That’s the time they always want to get with the budget chair is during the off season to go over their issues before the session hits.”
The information on legislators’ jobs is available because state law requires elected officials, as well as many public employees, to file statements of economic interest with the Alabama Ethics Commission.
They report, in broad ranges, the amount of their household income. They report their spouse’s employers, whether they own investment property, and some information about their debts.
AL.com reviewed the statements of economic interest for the 104 members of the Alabama House (there is one vacancy).
Here are most of the occupations (some representatives are listed more than once because they list a profession and own a business):
Attorneys: Reps. Cynthia Almond, R-Tuscaloosa; Bryan Brinyark, R-Northport; Prince Chestnut, D-Selma; Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa; David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook; Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham; Jim Hill, R-Moody; Patrice McClammy, D-Montgomery; Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga; Matt Simpson, R-Daphne; Ontario Tillman, D-Birmingham; Tim Wadsworth, R-Arley.
Real estate: Reps. Corley Ellis, R-Columbiana; Rolanda Hollis, D-Birmingham; James Lomax, R-Huntsville; Arnold Mooney, R-Shelby County; Debbie Wood, R-Valley.
Banking/credit union: Reps. Mike Shaw, R-Vestavia Hills; Jeff Sorrells, R-Hartford; Andy Whitt, R-Harvest.
Law enforcement: Reps. Russell Bedsole, R-Alabaster; Shane Stringer, R-Mobile.
Financial advisor: Reps. Brock Colvin, R-Guntersville; Troy Stubbs, R-Prattville.
Pastor: Reps. Mark Gidley, R-Gasden; Patrick Sellers, D-Birmingham.
Homebuilder/contractor: Reps. Brett Easterbrook, R-Fruitdale; Ben Harrison, R-Elkmont; Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle.
Rep. David Standridge, R-Hayden, is the only member who lists his full-time occupation as farmer.
The lone architect in the House is Rep. Craig Lipscomb, R-Gadsden.
Rep. Kerry Underwood, R-Tuscumbia; is a CPA.
Rep. Mark Shirey, R-Mobile, is an optometrist.
Rep. Paul Lee, R-Dothan, is executive director of the Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center, a non-profit.
Rep. Frances Holk-Jones, R-Foley, is in the insurance business.
Rep. Mike Kirkland, R-Scottboro, is sales manager for Vulcan Construction Materials.
Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Mobile, is diversity and inclusion manager for Austal USA.
Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, is an attorney who is executive director of the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama.
Rep. Corey Harbison, R-Good Hope, is city planner for Good Hope.
Here is a list of representatives who reported ownership in businesses on their statements of economic interest. (This list may not include some professionals who own their own company, such as a law firm):
Reps. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City; Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville; Jennifer Fidler, R-Fairhope; Jeremy Gray, D-Opelika; Matthew Hammett, R-Dozier; Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road; Jamie Kiel, R-Russellville; Kelvin Lawrence, D-Hayneville; Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn; Rhett Marques, R-Enterprise; Marcus Paramore, R-Troy; Chris Pringle, R-Mobile; Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville; Phillip Rigsby, R-Huntsville; Chad Robertson, R-Heflin; Ivan Smith, R-Prattville; Shane Stringer, R-Mobile; Troy Stubbs, R-Prattville; Curtis Travis, D-Tuscaloosa; Andy Whitt, R-Harvest; Ritchie Whorton, R-Owens Cross Roads; Matt Woods, R-Jasper; Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity.
Thirty-seven House members do not list another job other than their public position. Many of them are retired from other jobs. Some report income from property they own for investments.
Clouse said the membership of the House has changed since when he was first elected 30 years ago. Clouse said he believes the cross-section now is a good one.
“When I first came in there were a whole lot more attorneys than what we have now,” Clouse said. “And you certainly need some attorneys to particularly deal with the issues we’ve got on Judiciary Committees and some of these legal issues that we deal with.
“It’s good to have that. It’s obviously good to have business folks and people from other different walks of life. It’s good to have as many female members as we’ve had come on the last few years to give a different perspective.”
Clouse said he believes there may be a misconception about how time-consuming it is to be a legislator.
“It’s not like being on the city council or the county commission where you go to city hall or the courthouse once every two weeks for your meeting and then you go home that afternoon after the meeting is over,” Clouse said. “There’s just so much travel involved, so many overnight stays involved in Montgomery that it’s pretty taxing to that individual and for the families involved, too.”
Ledbetter is one the legislators who does not hold another full-time job. But he said it is not unusual for him to work 50 hours a week when the House is not in session.
“You’ve got so much going on in your district, be it with the local rotary club or the chamber of commerce or you’ve got school issues or somebody that’s got a pressing issue with a family member they want you try to help with,” Ledbetter said. “And you’ve also got infrastructure needs.”
Ledbetter said groups representing farmers, teachers, businesses, and other interest groups are in regular contact with legislators.
“They’re always calling and asking, ‘Is there going to be legislation that’s going to affect me this year?’ Or maybe they’ve got one they’re interested in passing,” Ledbetter said.
Then there are interim committees that meet outside of the session, like the Sunset Committee and the prison oversight committee.
“Most members, I would daresay, stay on the phone probably two or three hours a day just in constituent calls and working on issues or bills or working for the next session,” Ledbetter said.
“If you were looking at it from the standpoint of what we do in session, I would say that’s probably the tip of the iceberg,” Ledbetter said.
