Alabama VA restructuring raising concern among some veterans
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — The fight over how the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs operates continues. New legislation in Montgomery would restructure the department and some vets argue it takes their voice away.
This follows the fight last year that ended with Governor Kay Ivey removing state VA commissioner Kent Davis. Supporters of the bills say this elevates the VA commissioner and opens up the board–opponents say it's the exact opposite.
Under Senate Bill 67 and House Bill 154 the VA commissioner would be a cabinet-level position who serves at the governor's discretion–not appointed by the VA board as it is now.
The bills also change the VA board membership from people who are appointed by different veterans service groups in the state to positions that are appointed by the governor, speaker of the state house and senate president.
Senate sponsor Andrew Jones says this bill elevates the commissioner making that person cabinet level and opens the VA board up beyond membership in a formal vet organization. He argues most veterans are not members of these service groups.
'When you broaden the amount of folks that can participate by fourfold, and when you elevate the position to where they have the ear of the governor, you know, whatever they need to this board of governors, cabinet, I think that you strengthen the position,' said State Senator Andrew Jones. The new President of the South Alabama Vets Council Robert F. Barrow said he wanted to start his tenure with the organization without wading into politics but says this issue has pulled him back in.
'Those senators and those House members that choose to vote for this, if it goes through that, the 400,000 vets across America or across Alabama are not going to forget it,' said Barrow. 'This is not good legislation and it's creating an unnecessary rift among the veteran community that that's going to have long term consequences.'
Jones says the legislation streamlines the department and formally spells out the governor is in charge of who runs the state VA, having exerted that power last year.
'At the end of the day, she used her supreme executive authority to remove the former commissioner. So at the end of the day, the buck stops with her. This just makes it more official and it elevates the position in such a way that they have her ear,' said Jones.
An online petition against the bills garnered more than 1,300 signatures in 5 days. Baldwin County State Senator Chris Elliott says he doesn't support this legislation and Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth says he also opposes it. The bills have advanced but it's not clear if a version will make it to the governor's desk.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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