Author

Craig Ford

Craig Ford is the owner of Ford Insurance and the Gadsden Messenger. He represented Etowah County in the Alabama House of Representatives for 18 years.

News

State Leaders Need To Abandon The Extreme And Get Back To The Mainstream

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford When even the Republican leader in the state senate says you’re out of touch, you know things have gone too far. But that is where we are in Alabama politics these days. It’s about the mainstream versus the extreme, and right now the extreme is winning! In a recently … Continued

Craig Ford

October 22, 2015

Opinion

The Importance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford There are a lot of things that make October a special month: the playoffs in Major League Baseball, the heart of football season, the changing weather just to name a few. But October is also important because it is the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I’ve always been … Continued

Craig Ford

October 8, 2015

Opinion

Bentley Got His Tax Increases, But He’s Still Closing Parks and Drivers License Offices

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford As if $86 million in new taxes and an $80 million raid on public education weren’t bad enough, Gov. Bentley has now announced that he will close more than thirty drivers license offices, as well as some state parks and National Guard armories. The governor has spent this … Continued

Craig Ford

October 1, 2015

Opinion

Rep. Paul Lee Says Those Who Voted Against Taxes Should Feel “Ashamed.” Paul Lee Is The One Who Should Be Ashamed

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford It would be an understatement to say that this year has been an odd one for Alabama politics. But nothing surprised me more than when Rep. Paul Lee, a Republican from Dothan, came up to the microphone on the last night of the legislative session that ended last week … Continued

Craig Ford

September 25, 2015

Opinion

Republicans In The Alabama Legislature Raise Taxes, Cut Services And Raid Education…And Still Don’t Solve The Budget Crisis

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford In a special legislative session where their options were to either raise taxes, cut services or raid education, the Republicans in the Alabama Legislature somehow managed to do all three and still not solve the long-term problems in the budget. What’s also very telling are the taxes they chose … Continued

Craig Ford

September 17, 2015

Opinion

Rep. Craig Ford Introduces Legislation To Protect School Chaplains

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford College football has finally started back, and it couldn’t have come soon enough! Football is a way of life here in Alabama. Only family and God are more important. That’s why I was so troubled a few weeks ago when the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter … Continued

Craig Ford

September 10, 2015

Opinion

The Legislature Shouldn’t Waste Another Opportunity To Pass A Lottery

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford There aren’t a whole lot of good things anyone can say about what’s been going on in Montgomery lately. The legislature has failed to pass a budget-twice! Next week, legislators return to Montgomery for a third legislative session to address the budget crisis, but there is still no agreement … Continued

Craig Ford

September 3, 2015

Opinion

State Leaders Say Life Matters. Now It’s Time To Prove It

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Last week, Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey wrote an article entitled “Life Matters” in response to the recent Planned Parenthood videos. Like Lt. Gov. Ivey, I am 100 percent pro-life, and was shocked by the videos that came out. Life does matter, and should be treated with dignity and … Continued

Craig Ford

August 27, 2015

Opinion

A New School Year Is Starting, But It Should Be Starting Later

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Remember when school didn’t start until after Labor Day? Over the last few weeks, students across Alabama have started a new school year–right in the middle of August. Some have even been back for two or three weeks. Instead of spending the last few weeks of August working … Continued

Craig Ford

August 20, 2015

Opinion

A Path Forward

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford It isn’t often that legislators in Montgomery are universally in agreement on anything. But this week it happened, twice. First, legislators in the State House of Representatives agreed by a vote of 92-2 to kill the budget that had passed earlier in the year. Additionally, everyone agreed that … Continued

Craig Ford

August 13, 2015