Author

Cam Ward

Time to Fight the Opioid Crisis in Alabama

By Senator Cam Ward Alabama State Senate In 2016, more Americans died from drug overdoses than were killed in the entire Vietnam War. Two-thirds of those overdoses were linked to opioids, a class of drugs that includes illegal substances like heroin, but which is primarily composed of legal painkillers like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone. Unfortunately, … Continued

Cam Ward

August 22, 2017

Opinion

Autism advocates, common sense prevail in Legislative victory

By Sen. Cam Ward Alabama State Senate Until 1998, women who battled breast cancer and had a mastectomy may not have received insurance coverage for reconstructive surgery. It’s hard to imagine an insurance company wouldn’t pay for making a woman whole after she stared death in the eye, lost a part of her body, and … Continued

Cam Ward

May 20, 2017

Opinion

Opioid & Fentanyl crises’ deserve Legislative action

By Senator Cam Ward & Representative April Weaver As we enter the second half of the 2017 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature we have many big issues that still need to be addressed, however few are as important as addressing the growing opioid & fentanyl abuse issues in our state. Drug traffickers continue to … Continued

Cam Ward

April 3, 2017

Opinion

Prison fellowship changes lives

By Sen. Cam Ward Life has its ups and downs. Sometimes only when we get outside of our own little bubble and experience something different can we truly appreciate all the challenges the world can offer. If we choose to hide our faces from uncomfortable subjects, it can lead to a much more narrow view … Continued

Cam Ward

February 13, 2017

Opinion

Take a break from politics this Christmas season

By State Senator Cam Ward Our nation has just finished one of the most contentious presidential elections I can remember. In many ways, the American people seem dangerously divided: hate-filled posts fill up social media, while the loudest voices dominate cable television. Active, informed debate about political issues is healthy, but it often seems our … Continued

Cam Ward

December 5, 2016

Opinion

Quick Fixes a Danger to State Employee and Teacher Pensions

By State Senator Cam Ward There’s been a lot of chatter over the past year about pension reform in Alabama, both from legislators and outside groups. This chatter has been fueled by concerns about the size of the Retirement System of Alabama’s (RSA) unfunded liability and the total amount the state pays in every year. … Continued

Cam Ward

July 18, 2016

Opinion

New Medicaid Law Could Save State Money

By Senator Cam Ward Our prison population overwhelms our facilities and is currently at almost double capacity. It consumes nearly one third of the General Fund Budget, stressing all other state agencies that are funded from the same source. One of the most difficult challenges in my political service has been trying to bring sanity … Continued

Cam Ward

May 10, 2016

Opinion

Legislature Gives Autism Research and Treatment a Boost

By State Senator Cam Ward Despite the political distractions, the Alabama Legislature has worked hard this session to enact policies to move our state forward. This session, the Legislature unanimously passed a $6.3 billion Education Trust Fund for fiscal year 2017 (FY17), the largest education budget since the recession, and it gives a much-deserved pay … Continued

Cam Ward

April 25, 2016

Opinion

Time to Lend the Poor a Hand by Shining a Light on Lawsuit Lending

By State Senator Cam Ward For decades, Alabama was known as “tort hell.” The legal environment was tilted toward plaintiffs and businesses were taking it hard on the chin. This made some trial lawyers very wealthy, but it cost Alabama untold thousands of jobs as businesses and doctors went elsewhere. During the 1990s, voters flipped … Continued

Cam Ward

January 21, 2016

Opinion

Un-earmarking Is a Common-Sense Approach to Budget Issues

By Sen. Cam Ward Budget cuts. Tax increases. Agency restructurings. We’ve heard and seen it all over the past several months since the Legislature first came to order in early March. Since that time, there has been a regular session and two special sessions. Throughout each, a lot of ideas were bounced off the wall … Continued

Cam Ward

November 2, 2015