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Craig Ford

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.

How we can make our schools safer

Education is the most important service our government provides, and one of the top issues impacting education is school safety. Unfortunately, it seems like every conversation about school safety always turns into a debate about guns, and nothing ever gets done. But there are a lot of things we can – and should – be … Continued
April 12, 2018

The most important decision our government will make: Who will be our next state superintendent of education

The Legislative Session has come to an end, but legislators won’t be the ones making the most important decision our government will make this year. The State Board of Education will make that decision in April when they choose our next State Superintendent of Education. For all of the high-profile issues that have been raised … Continued
March 30, 2018

Educators, retirees deserve a pay raise

By Rep. Craig Ford Eleven years is a long time to go without a pay raise. But for educators, state employees and retirees in Alabama, that’s how long it has been. And for retirees and many state employees, they have actually had their pay cut during those eleven years. You may be thinking that educators, … Continued
February 9, 2018

State leaders have lost their credibility on prisons

By Rep. Craig Ford With all the attention being given to the special election for the U.S. Senate, you may not have seen what has been happening in Montgomery with the prison crisis. Last year, Gov. Bentley proposed a plan to build four new “super prisons” at a cost of about $800 million. At the … Continued
November 29, 2017

Remembering Our Veterans This Thanksgiving

By. Rep. Craig Ford Every Thanksgiving, I like to write an editorial about the things that I am thankful for. I’ve written about how thankful I am for my family, and for public servants like Alabama’s educators. But this year, I want to say how thankful I am for our country’s veterans. We just celebrated … Continued
November 17, 2017

Should Superintendent Sentance be fired?

By Rep. Craig Ford On Thursday, the State Board of Education will meet to discuss terminating State Superintendent Michael Sentance’s contract. Politics has surrounded Sentance’s time in Alabama, starting even before he was hired. And if the Board decides to fire him, his supporters will claim that politics was the driving factor. Sentance was the … Continued
September 13, 2017

An agri-business center would be a great addition to the mega sports complex

By Rep. Craig Ford State House of Representatives Tourism and hospitality are a $13 billion a year industry in the state of Alabama. That number comes from the Alabama Department of Tourism, and it was included in a press release Gov. Ivey put out last month. But tourism and hospitality don’t just come from our … Continued
September 8, 2017