A much-debated bill to give the governor more authority over the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs quickly won final passage in the Legislature Thursday.
Under current law, the State Board of Veterans Affairs has authority over the ADVA and appoints the commissioner.
Under SB67, by Sen. Andrew Jones, R- Centre, the governor would appoint the commissioner, who would run the agency and be a member of the governor’s cabinet, and the board’s role would be reduced to advisory.
The Senate changed the bill in response to opposition from some veterans’ organizations, although some opposition remained.
The House passed the bill Thursday after a short discussion with no one speaking in opposition to the bill.
The vote was 56-39. The bill goes to Gov. Kay Ivey, who can sign it into law. Ivey supports the bill and said it was a priority during her State of the State address a month ago.
Ivey posted on X about her appreciation that the bill passed.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion, and American Veterans (AMVETS) endorsed SB67 after changes made in the Senate.
But opposition remained among veterans and veterans groups.
Pete Riehm, a retired U.S. Navy commander and president of the Alabama Council of Chapters of the Military Officers Association of America, was at the State House on Thursday, along with other veterans who opposed the bill. Riehm said he was extremely disappointed that the bill passed.
“I’m also very disappointed that the vast majority of these people have no idea really what the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs is doing or has done,” Riehm said. “Or how the State Board of Veterans Affairs operates and what it has done. They have done major surgery on a patient that they don’t even know who that patient is, the history, or what they have done.”
Riehm said the ADVA has functioned well with the State Board of Veterans Affairs in control, a system set up by the Legislature and veterans groups after World War II.
“This structure has existed for 80 years. And it was created to be apolitical. So that it would be accountable and responsive to the veterans over whatever fickle-pickle political winds would blow on this Goat Hill here,” Riehm said.
Riehm also questioned the speed in which the legislation passed, about one month into the legislative session.
“How does a law get passed in two or three weeks and all the stakeholders are not allowed to have an input or a fair hearing?” Riehm said.
“So, our battle now begins to rescind and repeal this abomination.”
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