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.

Reviewing The Amendments On The Nov. 8th Ballot

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford When voters cast their ballots next month, they will be voting on more than just the presidential race and other important offices; they will also be deciding the fate of fourteen amendments to our state constitution. The first amendment is related to the Auburn University Board of Trustees. It … Continued

Craig Ford

October 14, 2016

Opinion

State Employees Should Be A Budget Priority in 2017

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Imagine you went for nine years without a pay raise. Now imagine that, during those nine years, your boss made you start paying more for your health insurance and retirement plan. Now imagine that your boss laid-off about one out of every five of your coworkers, forcing you to … Continued

Craig Ford

October 7, 2016

Opinion

VictoryLand Reopening Is A Victory For Democracy

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford I have always believed that gambling is an issue that should be decided by the voters. And I will never understand why, in the middle of the biggest economic recession our country has seen since the Great Depression, our state leaders chose to put hundreds of people out of … Continued

Craig Ford

September 22, 2016

Opinion

Want To Save The State Money? Stop Wasting Tax Dollars On Expensive, Unwinnable Lawsuits

By House Minority Leader Craig Ford Our State government has money problems. It’s the reason we keep calling the Legislature back into special legislative sessions year after year to fix problems that should have been fixed during the regular legislative sessions. It’s the reason we have racked up almost a billion dollars in debt. It’s … Continued

Craig Ford

September 15, 2016

Opinion

Once Again, The Legislature Fails To Let The People Vote

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford After nearly two decades of waiting, it seemed like the people of Alabama were finally going to get the chance to vote on a lottery. On July 27th, Gov. Bentley announced, “We need your help solving our funding crisis. I’m giving you the opportunity to vote on a Statewide … Continued

Craig Ford

September 9, 2016

Opinion

State Senators Killed The Lottery. Will They Kill The BP Bill, Too?

By Minority Leader Rep Craig Ford The governor called the Alabama Legislature into a special legislative session this summer with two things in mind: pass a lottery and pass a spending plan for the BP oil spill settlement. So far, the Legislature hasn’t done too well with passing either of these bills. The lottery came … Continued

Craig Ford

September 2, 2016

Opinion

Debt Is The Real Reason For The Special Legislative Session

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford The Alabama Legislature returned to Montgomery this week for what may end up being only the first of more special legislative sessions. The governor said the purpose for this legislative session was to vote on a lottery to fund Medicaid and other general fund proposals. While the lottery is … Continued

Craig Ford

August 19, 2016

Opinion

The State Giveth, And The State Taketh Away

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford When it comes to pay raises for our educators, the state giveth and the state taketh away. This year was supposed to be the first time our public educators received a true raise since 2008. Before that, the legislature cut educators’ and state employees’ pay by 2.5 percent (by … Continued

Craig Ford

August 11, 2016

Opinion

Why The Lottery Must Go To Scholarships, And Won’t Save Medicaid Or The General Fund Budget

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Over the last year or so, the lottery has been getting more and more attention and support from state legislators. The lottery is extremely popular, getting over 60 percent favorable support in all the public opinion polls that I’ve seen. The debate these days isn’t so much over whether … Continued

Craig Ford

July 27, 2016

Opinion

The Next Speaker of the House Should Not Be Chosen Behind Closed Doors

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford When former Speaker of the House, Mike Hubbard, was convicted on 12 felony counts of corruption, he was immediately removed from office. Now, the state House of Representatives must elect a new speaker. The state constitution requires legislators to hold a public vote to elect the next speaker, but … Continued

Craig Ford

July 7, 2016