Author

Darrio Melton

This isn’t about an affair—It’s about trust

By Rep. Darrio Melton As news of Governor Bentley’s inappropriate relationship with a senior advisor rocked Montgomery last week, it seemed that the major issues in this story took a back seat to gossip about recordings and scandals. This entire story hinges around one major point: the governor has not been honest with the people … Continued

Darrio Melton

March 29, 2016

Opinion

What’s Really Busting Our Budget?

By Rep. Darrio Melton Last week, a bill came through the Legislature that I thought had to be a mistake. Republican leadership was attempting to change the requirements for hardship assistance so that you can no longer qualify for short-term assistance programs if you have “assets.” And by “assets,” they mean frivolous luxuries like a … Continued

Darrio Melton

March 22, 2016

Opinion

Reform Rollback: We’re Running Out of Options for Medicaid

By Representative Rep. Darrio Melton When Governor Bentley took office, I had high hopes that a doctor in the Governor’s mansion would mean improvements for Alabama’s health care. He had worked in the health care system, knew the pitfalls of Medicaid and Medicare, and would be able to see reform as a provider, patient, and … Continued

Darrio Melton

March 15, 2016

Opinion

The Black Belt: Paving the Road to Success

By Rep. Darrio Melton It’s no secret that the Black Belt is behind the times. Just take a drive South of Montgomery and you’ll experience a time and place very different than the rest of Alabama. Families find ways to get by with little means, businesses struggle to provide sustainability for the community, the roads … Continued

Darrio Melton

March 8, 2016

Opinion

I’m with her, and I hope you are too

By Rep. Darrio Melton Each time we go to the polls to vote, I think about how meaningful the opportunity is to cast a ballot for a candidate I truly believe in. When I think back about how far we’ve come–from jelly beans in a jar to bubbles in a bar of soap to billy … Continued

Darrio Melton

March 1, 2016

Opinion

Put the Personal Attacks Aside for the Primary: We’re Still One Party

By Rep. Darrio Melton March 1 is right around the corner, and Alabama’s primary races are heating up. We’ve seen contentious rhetoric in the presidential elections, but the same tone is trickling down to our local primaries and communities. The primary process has received a lot of negativity, especially with how closely Secretary Clinton and … Continued

Darrio Melton

February 23, 2016

Opinion

GOP Irony: Smaller government until we don’t get our way

By Representative Darrio Melton “More jobs. Less government.” -Governor Robert Bentley “Less regulation and a smaller government is better…” – Rep. David Faulkner We’ve heard these lines before, time and time again, from Republican candidates promising smaller government and more local control when they’re elected. Despite the campaign promises, the same Republicans whistle a different … Continued

Darrio Melton

February 16, 2016

Opinion

A Great State with Wrong Funding

By Rep. Darrio Melton It’s time to talk about how we fund the state of Alabama and get a few things straight. When we look to our state’s funding mechanisms, money comes from three major areas and they’re all three pretty dirty words: taxes, bonds, and the federal government. Last week, Governor Bentley rolled out … Continued

Darrio Melton

February 9, 2016

Opinion

Alabama Has an Opportunity to Improve the Voting Process

By Rep. Darrio Melton As the first round of caucuses met this week in Iowa and New Hampshire, the weight of the 2016 election season is upon us. We’re less than a month away from Alabama’s primary elections, in the first-ever “SEC Super Tuesday” where the Southern states will all head to the polls to … Continued

Darrio Melton

February 2, 2016

Opinion

The clock is running out to fight Obama: We need real solutions to Alabama’s problems

By Rep. Darrio Melton If you’ve turned on a TV lately, you might have caught Senator Richard Shelby’s latest TV ads, the ones of him driving a Ford Explorer through the Alabama country roads and talking about how he fights Obama in Washington every day. Sound familiar? Senator Shelby isn’t the only Alabama politician who … Continued

Darrio Melton

January 26, 2016