Senator Phil Williams (R-Rainbow City) has been appointed to serve as Chairman of the new Fiscal Responsibility & Economic Development Committee in the Alabama State Senate. He was also tapped for another leadership role as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The two committees combined handle nearly half of all the legislation in the Senate.
“The Fiscal Responsibility Committee has one of the most important tasks in the legislature – to protect taxpayers,” remarked Senator Williams. “Government should live within its means, like every family has to. The membership roll of the committee is one of the largest in the Senate with fifteen members, and as Chairman, I will continue to find ways to right-size state government and be more efficient stewards of the public trust.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee handles an especially diverse workload, with pending legislation ranging from child custody law to prison reform to bills proposing modernization of language in specific articles of the Alabama Constitution.
“Because the legislature writes all laws, it is helpful to have a Judiciary Committee that understands the impact of bills on every Alabamian, from law enforcement to constitutional issues. Both Chairman Ward and I are attorneys, so we will work to ensure individual rights are protected as bills come through the committee,” concluded Sen. Williams.
In addition to his work on the Fiscal Responsibility and Judicial committees, Williams has been tapped by Lt. Governor Kay Ivey to serve on a Joint Legislative Prison Committee, and the Joint Legislative Transportation Committee, among others. He was also appointed by the Senate Pro Tem to the powerful Senate Rules Committee that determines which legislation comes to the floor for a vote.
“Senator Williams is among the most respectable people I know. He is dedicated to service to his constituents, his family, and his country,” said Lt. Governor Ivey. “I am confident he will be an asset to these Legislative committees and I look forward to continuing to work with him.”
The following is a full list of Senator Williams’ committee assignments for the current legislative quadrennium:
Senate Standing Committee Assignments
Chair – Fiscal Responsibility & Economic Development
Vice-Chair – Judiciary
Constitution, Ethics & Elections
Governmental Affairs
Veterans & Military Affairs
Legislative Council
Rules Committee
Lt. Governor Appointments
Joint Transportation Legislative Committee
ADECA Legislative Oversight Commission
Corrections, Board of Capital Outlay Oversight Commission
Interim Finances and Budget
Legal Defense Committee, Law Enforcement Officers
Medal of Honor for Law Enforcement Officers, Joint Legislative Committee
Municipal Government Legislative Committee
Prison Committee, Joint Legislative Committee
Regional Revolving Loans Permanent Policy Committee