A bill that would strip the State Board of Veterans Affairs (SBVA) of its rule-making authority, its ability to choose the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and its direct oversight of the Commissioner is being rushed through the legislature. We have been warning about and opposing SB67/HB154 since its introduction. The handling of this bill has been nothing short of disrespectful to Alabama veterans.
For instance, veterans and the SBVA were given very little input before the bill was introduced. The Senate had less than 10 minutes to read the new 21-page bill before voting. The sponsor did not allow any motions or amendments, nor did he permit a delay of the vote even after fellow senators asked. The bill then moved to the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, where Chairman Rep. Ed Oliver denied veterans a public hearing on the hastily passed bill. It is now headed to the House floor for a vote.
The majority of the nine service organizations represented on the SBVA have not endorsed the bill. The vote in the Alabama House could come as early as Thursday, March 6. If SB67 passes the SBVA will be a toothless, powerless, board whose 80 year-long authority has been stripped away and given to one person who will be appointed solely by the governor with no input or say from the SBVA.)
