'I’m sitting here looking at the work of the Alabama Legislature and – what’s that feeling in my face?' columnist JohnArchibald writes. 'My God. I’m smiling.'
Maybe the drumbeat of horror stories about fines and fees made a dent. Maybe it was just time. But surely, what happened last week was a result of years of hard work.
The unlikely pairing of Sens. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, and Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, deserves a nod. So does a string of legislators from both parties who carried similar bills in previous years, before understanding of the issue reached a critical mass. Jim Hill was one. So was Cam Ward, and Chris Pringle, and of course Hank Sanders, who talked about it before anybody gave a hint of a care.
A retired Birmingham cop named Jerry Wiley talked about how fines for the sake of fines crippled families. Groups like Alabama Arise chipped in. The League of Women Voters helped Alabama Appleseed conduct surveys that put the problem in perspective. And Appleseed itself, with Leah Nelson there, who can smile and be gracious to those who think like her and those who do not, may have been the driving force behind making politicians understand the common interest. She brought facts, and numbers, and people, and a relentless pursuit of change. It is dizzying to see.AL.comIf you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
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