Thank You to All Our Veterans

Friends and constituents, please join me in remembering and thanking all who have worn our nation’s military uniforms in defense of Liberty and the pursuit of Freedom across the globe, as we celebrate Veteran’s Day! Because of their devotion, sacrifice, and service, we live as free men and women today in the greatest country mankind has ever known. Alabama has a particularly rich military tradition, which should be celebrated and appreciated by all who proudly call our state home. May God continue to watch over the United States of America and the service members, past and present, who defend it.

Rep David Faulkner

April 28 - New State Health Order

Friends,
Below is the State’s new health order for April 30th till May 15th. It is very much as I expected and predicted with regard to most businesses, retail stores, non-emergency medical procedures and our beaches. I was surprised that “close contact service providers” such as salons and barber shops, as well as gyms and fitness centers were not allowed to open at all. I had expected they would be allowed to open, but with more extensive restrictions and limitations. I also was surprised that restaurants were not allowed to open for in-person dining if they could adequately do so and meet restrictions. Based on what I know, I fully expect these businesses to be able to open on May 15th with restrictions if our numbers continue to go in the manner we expect.

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April 27 COVID-19 Update

Friends,

We had our weekly call with the Governor this morning, and she confirmed she will be giving a report to the people of Alabama TOMORROW on the State’s new Health Order to be issued by her and Dr. Harris for the State moving forward. (I still believe that the new Health Order will go in place on May 1st even though it will be announced tomorrow, but I could be wrong). She said it had not been completely decided and has not been signed yet. She said she had no doubts some would think the steps she was taking went too far and others would think it didn’t go far enough, but that she was confident she and the Committee advising her had done their very best to find the proper balance at this time, and that she would continue to evaluate the new State Health Order as they continue to monitor all data on a daily basis. She also said the new Health Order she and Dr. Harris intend to issue, would NOT take us back to normal, or the way we were before the pandemic entered our State.

The Committee advising her on the steps to be taken based on our COVID-19 data as a State gave their recommendations to her on Friday of last week. That Committee, whose members I listed in my update last week, looked heavily at AL’s hospital capacity levels, both ICU and non-ICU;  the numbers for new cases and deaths on a daily basis from inception to present, as well as all other data and numbers available for COVID-19. The Committee and the Governor also looked at the White House and CDC Guidelines for Opening Up America (that I also included in a 2nd update last week), and the Small Business Commission’s COVID-19 Task Force Sub-Committee Recommendations, along with the input from many people, groups, associations and entities.

WHAT I EXPECT:

As I indicated last week, I expect the new Health order to allow most all businesses and recreational areas to re-open with limitations. I believe this because I unfortunately believe most were closed in an effort to control human behavior, and not because they could not have operated safely during this pandemic, and in most cases probably could have operated even safer than the grocery stores, pharmacies, big box stores and many others who were allowed to stay open because of their smaller customer base and traffic. Trying to control human behavior is a difficult task, and think we all have learned a lot from this going forward. There are certainly things we might and should do differently next time based on what we have learned, but hard to fault anyone for the decision they made. 

THE NUMBERS AND THE GOOD NEWS:

The good news is that AL’s numbers have hit a plateau and the curve has flattened according to our State Health Officer, but it is true we have not seen a sharp decline in our numbers yet. We have right at a total of just under 6,500 Alabamians test positive for the virus, and 219 reported virus related deaths total to date in the State. Of the 6,500 who have tested positive, almost 1,000 of those were health care workers. Over the last week, we have averaged around 200 new cases per day, and most of those were coming from 1-3 “hot spot” areas in certain counties in the State (Mobile, Marshall and Tallapoosa) as a result of a particular place being infected. I had a call with Jeff Co Chief Health Officer early last week, and Jeff Co was only averaging between 3-9 new cases a day for the week before that, and I hope that continued or lessened for this past week as well. We have had approximately 850 people be hospitalized to date from the approx 6,500 who tested positive. Dr. Harris also said we have plenty of available hospital capacity/beds, and that includes ICU beds, and we have plenty of ventilators available and are meeting the demand for PPE.

We are working to get more testing capacity, as it is pretty good in our larger metropolitan areas where there are more labs, but not as good in the rural areas of the State. To date, we have tested almost 74,000 people in AL. They continue to work on and implement the contact tracing plan and ADPH is working with medical students to help ramp contact tracing up. Walmart has offered to and has started testing in some areas of the Black Belt as well. Dr Harris said we continue to see that the majority of those diagnosed with the virus are seniors and over the age of 65, or those that already have a chronic health diagnosis. 

Secretary of Labor Fitzgerald Washington shared the following:

DOL has been working tirelessly to process every claim.  The number of new claims has finally gone down over the last week after seeing record numbers of claims in the last 6 weeks.

New measures have been implemented throughout the last two weeks to help speed along the claims process. 

Please use the claims tracker available on their website. 

Continue to show patience with the department as they process your claim. 

Also note that they are working with the Attorney General’s office to prosecute any false claims made throughout this pandemic. 

THE LEGISLATURE:

The AL Legislature will go back into Session Monday, May 4th, but for a very limited scope and with extreme safety precautions in place to ensure social distancing etc. We will only be taking up the 2 budgets and local bills in the remainder of the General Session, which by law, must be concluded by May 18th. I think the plan is to try and pass the budgets and these local bills as quick as possible in order to limit the days we are in Montgomery “together" as much as possible, so I do not expect us to be in Session until the 18th. Because I serve on the House Education Budget Committee, we will be the members primarily meeting the week of May 4th, but our Committee will also be kept at a distance from each other as we work to get the Education budget ready for a vote.  

Great Budget News: The great news is that I do not expect the State to go into proration from this pandemic at this time, and we are in good shape for the coming fiscal year despite the blow to the economy caused by this pandemic. I am proud to say that your legislature has been spending and saving your tax dollars wisely. We have been setting aside funds for an economic downturn like this will certainly cause, and we have good reserves in the Stabilization Fund and the Advancement and Technology Fund to fund education and all teacher units funded by the State. We also have a great first 6 months of the fiscal year to help offset the last 6 months. The April receipts will be down at extremely low levels, but there is no need to panic! It does not appear that the anticipated devastating decreases from this will cause us to decrease our appropriations for the upcoming 2021 fiscal year in education from the levels they were funded last year, and we will likely see moderate increases in funding even! I also expect the State to issue and do a bond issue for capitol improvement projects this Session.   

PARTING MESSAGE: 

I was reminded recently by Richard Simmons that we all will face trials and storms in our life, but it is how you respond to those trials and storms that make all the difference. People who turn to God in those times will find peace in their life.  People who don’t, will likely become bitter and be unhappy. If you turn to God for help and to lead you, and I hope you do, ask Him to help you live in the present, for today!! I am told most of us get our fear because we worry too much about tomorrow. Also, remember to thank God for all the blessings you have in this life. This pandemic has made me realize as much as anything how much I have to be grateful for. I can’t remember how many years it has been when I had this much time to be with my whole family, and to visit with my 84 and 85 year old parents, even if from a distance! To exercise and walk almost daily, and catch up with friends over the phone or from 6ft away.

I am so grateful for all those who continue to be God’s hands and feet on this earth even in the midst off all this! As my priest Rich Webster says all the time, God is at work all around us, here and now, and He is here for us even in our darkest and toughest of times! God is at work in and through each of us if we will just ask Him! Alabama is a great State with so many great people, and its easy to see God at work if we just take the time to stop and look!! Who knows, you might even notice Him at work in you!!

Peace, David

Expectations Over the Next Few Weeks

I expect the Governor and her Executive Committee who are looking at how and when to open Alabama’s economy back up, will rely heavily on the "Guidelines for Opening Up American Again" published by the White House and the CDC. Here is the link for those Guidelines. As a result, based on our numbers, I am thinking the State will adhere to the State Health Order currently in place through April 30th, but I don’t know that for sure.  I do expect the Governor to BEGIN lessening the restrictions and limitations imposed by the latest State Health Order as of May 1st. By that, I mean that I expect most businesses and recreational areas that were closed to be allowed to re-open, but with limitations and restrictions for social distancing and the like. That and the date of May 1st is just an educated guess on my part at this point.   

As I see it, the restrictions and limitations imposed on us were all about trying to control human behavior to help stop the spread of the virus, and many of our businesses were just an unfortunate casualty of that, as were some public recreational areas. Most should be allowed to re-open, as I have always believed that most businesses could have stayed open and operated safely to avoid spreading the virus. Without question, most could have operated just as safely as any big box store, grocery store or pharmacy, but because they were not deemed to be selling “essential and necessary” items, they were closed in an effort to control human behavior. It is time for them to re-open if they can do so pursuant to the Guidelines.  

But, even when we start to open back up our State, this is not over on May 1st by any means, and we still need to encourage and have people continue to be smart in their behavior and practice social distancing and the like, and especially from those considered to be part of our vulnerable population. The vulnerable population needs to continue to shelter-in-place as much as humanly possible. Alabamians have always risen to any challenge that faced us, and no doubt we can do this, Alabama!

https://www.whitehouse.gov/openingamerica/

April 20 COVID-19 Update

I hope you all are doing well. I continue to get lots of people asking about the State re-opening our closed businesses and letting people get back to work, so I will address that below. Last week, I had a lot of questions concerning the PPP money that was given out by banks. I understand all the money appropriated by the federal govt pursuant to the PPA has been given out, and Congress is working on a 2nd package, which is also expected to go quickly. Best course of action and advice on that continues to be to speak with your banker. I will include information on PPP below as well.

WEEKLY CONF CALL WITH GOVERNOR AND OTHER TOP OFFICIALS:

The Governor and Alabama State Health Officer, Dr. Scott Harris, shared Alabama’s most recent numbers and updates...

Approximately 4,946 COVID-19 positive tests in AL, and approx 1,000 of these are healthcare workers;45,712 Alabamians have been tested;  Approx 35% of AL’s population is considered high risk;641 people have been hospitalized since inception in AL reportedly related to COVID-19113 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in AL as of today, of the 165 reported COVID-19 deaths to date.Hospital capacity is positive, and thankfully it seems that NO alternative care sites will be needed or projected to be neededAll 67 counties across the state are testing;  no shortage of ventilators and everyone who has needed one, has been provided one.

Director of Finance, Kelly Butler, shared updates…

A 7 person “Executive Committee" has been formed to review recommended suggestions from the President, the Small Business Commission Task Force and other entities in the state about reopening the economy.  AL’s Commerce Secretary;  the Speaker of the AL House of Representatives;  the Speaker Pro-Tem of the AL Senate; Tim Vines (CEO of BCBS);  Nancy Johns (Retired Dean of the Virginia School of Medicine);  The current Dean of the UAB School Of Medicine, Dr Vickers; and the State's Health Officer. Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, Rick Pate, shared updates…Despite the obvious challenges, Alabama Ag and Industries are open and working hard to keep the supply chains moving Alabama inventory is SAFE, safer than it has ever been ADOL Secretary, Fitzgerald Washington, shared Alabama’s most recent numbers and updates…316,000 unemployment claims have been received in the past five weeks!Compared to ONLY 130,000 unemployment claims TOTAL in 2019 aloneAlabama is one of FEW states that have started issuing the $600 stimulus paymentA new ‘Claims Tracker’ system has been put in place on the ADOL websiteIf you are calling the AL Dpt of Labor and can not get through, please keep tryingAlabama Commissioner of Department of Corrections, Jeff Dunn, shared updates…As of this morning, 3 inmates total have tested positive for the Coronavirus.One was an inmate who was in the hospital for a previously diagnosed terminal illness (liver cancer), having already been in the hospital for 24 days at the time of his death, and not confirmed if death related to COVID-19The second inmate has been hospitalized to receive treatment and is progressing well. The area that housed the inmate is under a two-week quarantine.The third inmate is being treated in a quarantined section of that facility and is progressing well. The area that housed the inmate is under a two-week quarantine.In order to keep any potential spreading from occurring, the new inmates will spend 14 days quarantined prior to entering the usual intake processDOC has set up their textile manufacturing facilities to make masks for the inmates and protective gowns. All inmates will have 2 masks this week and over the next 2 weeks, each inmate should have 4 masksThose who have preexisting health conditions and staff have already been provided with masksDOC has PPE to meet current requirements for the foreseeable future with multiple shipments due in the next 2 weeks to the departmentDOC has established Rapid Response Teams in every facility to help implement these safety procedures.Alabama Commissioner of Department of Veterans Affairs, Admiral Kent Davis, shared updates regarding our veterans…Service office are closed to the public Counseling services are still available to veterans via phone Veteran burials are still taking place, but casket burials onlyThey will allow an appropriate memorial service to take place at a later dateOf the 4 Veterans homes around the state, only 1 has had positive test1 employee and 1 veteran tested positive  100% testing of all residents in that specific home has now been administered as a safety precautionIn the coming weeks Federal VA will arrive to ensure that all proper precautions are being taken to protect our veterans during this outbreak

The Re-opening of our Economy:

I have heard from many of you that it is time to re-open our economy and businesses, and get back to work. As stated above, the Governor has a 7 person Executive Committee listed above, and along with the State’s 7 Regional COVID-19 Commissions (chaired by each of AL’s 7 members of Congress), they will be advising the Governor on HOW and WHEN to open the State’s economy and businesses back up. This Committee is supposed to provide the Governor with a report by April 27th (one week from today) in advance of the current State Health Order expiring on April 30th. As the Gov previously stated, this re-opening could be done differently across different regions and areas of the State, and will likely involve a step by step process of lessening restrictions to get back to normal.

The Governor has said she wants to open our economy back up and get people back to work, and I know she means it. She also has said the State will be complying with the directives from the White House and the CDC in doing so, and has referenced the need to see a reduction in new cases in the State over a week to 14 day period in order to start lessening the restrictions and begin opening our State and businesses back up. As of now, we have not seen a reduction of new cases for such a period, and in fact, she indicated we have had an increase of cases in the last 10 days. But, that was not unexpected, as today was the approximate date when AL was supposed to reach its peak of highest number of cases.

As you may have seen, the Small Business Commission Task Force, apparently formed a Sub-Committee that published recommendations for re-opening businesses, and this Sub-Committee went ahead and held its own press conference and suggested dates for re-opening various businesses. I know this was confusing to many people in that many thought this was official action taken by the State in light of the press conference and media outreach that was held on this, but this was simply a report of recommendations for the Governor and her Executive Committee to consider. If you have any suggestions for the Governor and her Executive Comm to consider on how best to open up businesses and our economy, please send to me, and I will be glad to pass on to the Governor and members of the Executive Committee who will be making these decisions.

My thought is, and this is nothing more than an educated guess, is that the Governor will likely start lessening some of the restrictions in the current State Health Order that expires on April 30, by declaring that as of say May 1st, those businesses and areas of the State that have been closed, may re-open with some limitations/restrictions, such as 50% capacity in retail stores or restaurants, and various other social distancing and safety precautions for customers and workers for example. I would think beaches and other recreational areas would also be opened with some social distancing and safety limitations as well. I do NOT expect a full blown return to normal by May 1st by any means, but I do expect some restrictions to be lifted allowing those businesses that were closed to re-open, and for our beaches and recreational areas to re-open as well. I believe this can be done safely and responsibly, and feel strongly that most businesses can easily re-open and do so safely by May 1st. It is not right that "big box” stores continue to be able to be open and sell the exact same items that these small businesses sell, simply because they sell other essential items as well.

And the simple fact remains that regardless whether these businesses and recreational areas are open, we as a people still need to try and do our part to try and make sure we don’t spread the virus, by continuing to take the simple and easy precautions we have been through social distancing and the like, and especially so with regards to anyone that may be considered in the "vulnerable population” as relates to this virus. 

It is an honor to serve you in the Alabama Legislature, and please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of service.

Peace, David

April 14 COVID-19 Update

Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you all had a blessed Easter or Passover despite the storms that raged across the South!! I am sure it was very different like ours, but I hope you were able to be with some family and to participate albeit remotely, in your church or temple service. I think this is the first time I have not attended church in person on Easter Sunday, and it was a little weird to see our children have an Easter egg hunt inside! But, all went well, and we only lost power for about 6 hours Sunday night, and I hope it was a meaningful and good day for all of you!  As I continue to say, we have so much to be thankful for, and this pandemic had made me realize that even more! We should continue to pray even more, and make sure we thank God for all that he has done and continues to do for us.  

THIS WEEK’S CALL WITH GOVERNOR & STATE HEALTH OFFICER:

I had my legislative weekly conference call with the Governor and our State Health Officer, Scott Harris, yesterday. We also heard from our Secretary of Labor and our State EMA Director.  

First, the State was fortunate to have no deaths from the storms that came through the South on Sunday night. Unfortunately, Mississippi had 11 deaths and GA had 6 deaths as a result of the storms.

Second, Yesterday was exactly one month from Alabama’s 1st COVID-19 confirmed case. We have a little over 3,600 COVID-19 confirmed cases in AL as of yesterday. We are right at 100 reported COVID-19 deaths in AL, with around 65 of those deaths confirmed resulting directly from COVID-19. A little over 29,000 people have been tested in Alabama, so just like the rest of the nation, we still see a small percentage of those who have been tested actually having the virus. 457 people who tested positive had to be hospitalized in AL since the onset. African Americans continue to see higher rates of infection and to have greater issues with COVID-19 than other races.  

Third, the estimated peak of the virus is expected to be one week from yesterday, or or about Monday, April 20th. The great news is that it appears we will be able to handle the treatment of all infected patients who need to be hospitalized at the expected peak of the virus within our hospitals. Meaning we don’t have to use the Alternative Care Sites we have on stand-by. Right now, we still have 40% availability in our hospitals in the State, and data suggests we will be around 81% capacity at the peak of the virus. ICU beds are still available now, and data suggests we will be close to capacity at the peak early next week, so the State is monitoring the ICU bed supply very closely. We have a sufficient number of ventilators even for the expected peak. Right now, we have 298 people in our hospitals who have tested positive, and 337 people in hospitals with symptoms awaiting testing.  

Fourth, we have State testing in all of AL’s counties now and adding more every day. Looking to add 60+ testing sites in next 2 weeks. PPE continues to be the biggest concern in AL, and a new purchase just made by the State. AL has recd 15 point of care testing machines, but there is a shortage of testing kits for those machines.

AL SECRETARY OF LABOR:

February unemployment for AL was 2.7%, which was better than the national unemployment rate of 3.5%. The national unemployment rate went up to 4.4% for March, and he will release AL’s unemployment numbers for March on Friday of this week, an expects a sharp uptick. 73,000 unemployment claims filed last week, and 98,000 claims the week before that, and 11,000 claims yesterday alone. In summary, 264,000 unemployment claims in AL in last 4 weeks, compared to 130,000 all last year!

GOVERNOR PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY:

Governor asked everyone to keep following the State Health Order that is in effect until April 30th. She said she has a Task Force looking at how and when we can get people back to work in the State, and she is working closely with AL’s 7 members of Congress as well as 6 members of her Corona Virus Task Force. They will be looking at how to move forward and get Alabama’s economy back and running and doing so safely and responsibly. She expects the relaxing of the restrictions to be taken one step at a time, and there not be a complete elimination of all restrictions at once. She also said she expects it could be a region by region approach across the State. One example she mentioned would be allowing those businesses that have to be shut down now to be able to open, but only allow 50% capacity in the store or business for a period of time.  

OPENING THE STATE UP FOR BUSINESS:

Many people ask when is the State going to start taking measures to open the State back up for business, and I think that is going to depend on the health data coming in. Right now, we still see an increase in positive cases in the State, (with the peak expected early next week), and we need to see the new cases start to decline. The Gov's Task Force will be looking at everything as they try to make recommendations on opening the State back up for business, but if the numbers and data go as expected, I would expect we could at least see some initial lessening of some restrictions in May.

THE LEGISLATURE:

By the AL Constitution, the Legislature has to be finished with the General Session by May 18th, 2020. We have 15 legislative days left we can meet this Session, and we are supposed to come back on April 28th. Obviously, that date could change and will depend on the health data. If we are able to come back, our priorities will be the 2 budgets (especially the Education budget), 2 economic bills (SSUT and Jobs Tax Credit) and the Gov’s Prison Bill package. I doubt we will be able to take up much else. The Governor can call a Special Session, and we can address whatever she puts in her “call” for us to take up. I am very glad we had not passed our State budgets before this virus hit our nation and State. We will need to be prepared for a severe economic blow to our State and to do our budgets wisely with this in mind. The great news is that we had a great 1st 6 months in our fiscal year, and even if we have a terrible remaining 6 months of the fiscal year, we should not face proration and because of the conservative approach we have taken with your tax dollars.  

HELP FOR BUSINESSES:

Many of my calls have been from small business owners regarding the help and aid they can apply for and receive. I have sent numerous materials and information out to people about this, as well as to the chambers of commerce in my District. I understand most banks began paying out PPP money yesterday. I have not heard of anyone receiving the SBA’s EIDL money yet however. Please don’t hesitate to call me if I can be of assistance to you. Call me at 205 250-6604, or email me at David@DavidFaulknerAL46.com. It is my honor to represent and serve you in he Alabama Legislature as your State Representative, and I am here to serve you. 

Peace, David

Update from Weekly COVID-19 Conference Call with Governor

For 4 weeks now, the Legislature has had a weekly conference call with the Governor and some of the State’s top Department and Agency heads. We always hear from the Governor and State Health Officer, Dr. Scott Harris, and today was no different, but today we also heard from State School Super Dr Eric Mackey, AG Steve Marshall, Dr. Don Williamson (AL Hospital Association), and Brandon Farmer (AL Nursing Home Assoc). We usually hear from our Commerce Secretary, Greg Canfield and DHR, Medicaid, Prisons as well.

There was some good news in the call today, although a lot of concern over the anticipated surge in COVID 19 cases.

First, the updated stats for COVID 19 from our State Health Officer as of 4/6/20:
• Just under 1,900 confirmed cases confirmed in AL to date in 66 of AL’s 67 counties.
• We currently have 250 hospitalized COVID 19 patients, and about 1/2 of those (125) are in ICU.
• We have 44 deaths reported in AL to date, but not all those have been confirmed that the death was due to COVID 19 yet.
• Of the almost 1,900 cases in the State, 270 of those are and were healthcare workers.
• Dr Harris and the Governor said all the models based on the data suggest Alabama will hit its peak of cases 2 weeks from today, and this is why they entered the Stay at Home State Health Order last Friday.

In anticipation of the surge of cases for our State, Alternative Care Sites are being set up now to treat COVID 19 patients, especially in the major cities/counties in the State that have the most cases and higher density population. Here, the Sheraton Hotel by the BJCC is being set up to take patients if a surge overwhelms the hospitals. The AL Core of Engineers in conjunction with the State Health Department is leading the effort to make sure the sites are determined and meet all guidelines to treat patients in an over-flow capacity if needed. The AL National Guard continues to work on the plan for the transport of patients to these Alternative Care Sites from hospitals and from rural areas.

But, some very positive news is that we have also freed up our hospital beds for the expected surge. According to Dr Williamson, 52% of all our beds in hospitals are available and open for use. We also have 800 available ventilators, and no one has been unable to get a ventilator who needed one as of today. Plans are in place to be able to move ventilators as needed with a surge. Also, 35% of all ICU beds are available as of today. The concern still remains for the PPE. The State continues to follow up on every lead for PPE, but 90% of leads fail mostly because not medically adequate. 

We have 231 Skilled Nursing Facilities in the State with 31,000 staff. 31 of those have had a COVID-19 infected patient or staff member. These facilities are also looking at areas or wings that could be isolated in the facility to accept COVID-19 surge patients if necessary.

The Governor urged us to encourage people to follow the guidelines set forth in the latest Health Order, and I urge all of you to do so. I have only seen people doing their very best to keep safe distancing from each other and follow the guidelines for weeks now, and it is hard to believe we have some people who are still not taking this seriously.

Friends and neighbors, this is Holy Week for Christians, and we have a lot to be thankful for even in this time of crisis. I have been especially grateful for my time with my family, and for being able to help so many people get information or answer their questions due to my contacts as a State Representative. Being able to serve others is such a blessing! Let’s pledge to pray each day this week especially to thank God for all our blessings, especially the things that are important, like friends, family, and hopefully health; for living in a great State and the greatest country in the world; to pray for those leaders making decisions to have God’s wisdom as they do so, and for us to have God’s wisdom as we deal with this virus; to pray for those affected by this virus, for healing for those who have it and for peace for those who have lost a friend or family member to it; and most of all to thank God for our Savior who gives us hope in eternal life beyond this world. Lets remember we are all in this together, even if we are 6ft apart! 

Peace,

Rep David Faulkner

Our Thanks

Nancy, our children, and I thank the residents of State House District 46 from the bottom of our hearts for the vote of confidence you provided me in Tuesday’s general election. 

Our army of campaign volunteers worked hard on our behalf when they could have devoted their time to more enjoyable pursuits than knocking on doors, standing at polls, and all of the other tasks that a race like ours demands. Those who donated their time, donations, and efforts will always have our deepest gratitude.

We ran a clean, issues-driven campaign, without any of the negativity so often seen in politics. If more campaigns were conducted on a higher plateau, I believe we would see more citizens offering themselves for elected office.

My focus in this new term will remain on the areas I promised - education, ethics, and economic development - and I will endeavor to provide you with the same honest, responsive, and hardworking public service that I have worked to give you over the past four years.

David

Groundbreaking EXPLORE

I cannot be more excited for the city of Hoover and the entire Birmingham area. It was such an honor to be among those involved with the groundbreaking ceremony for the EXPLORE Playground & Splash Pad that will be a part of the Hoover Met Complex. A 100% completely accessible park for all - children/parents that may have disabilities, they don’t have to worry about any of that here. They just have fun.

And that’s just such a wonderful thing. It was so powerful to hear from Mary Allison Cook, a parent who uses a wheelchair tell her story of how every day, she has to plan because with her disability, not everything is always available to her - from restaurants to restrooms. And after becoming a mother, she realized that she would need to do the same when it came to taking her child to a place to play. She - and parents and children in the same situation - don’t have to worry about being left out with no place to go. I think that kind of stuff really matters.

There is plenty of name dropping and thanks to all involved, but this article does that better than I could. I just want to say that I’m humbled to have played a small part, and that I’m grateful we could get it done. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures.

STATE REP. DAVID FAULKNER TO DIRECT $15,000 IN COMMUNITY GRANTS TO HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE PROJECT

State Rep. David Faulkner (R - Mountain Brook) on Tuesday announced he will direct a $15,000 community grant to the Hollywood Boulevard pedestrian bridge project that will connect Homewood and Mountain Brook above Highway 280 and within Birmingham city limits. 

Faulkner has been actively involved in the bridge project since 2016 and has worked closely with the Homewood and Mountain Brook city councils to secure state approval and funding sources. 

(Left to Right) Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch, III, Birmingham City Councilor Valerie A. Abbott, Homewood City Councilor Jennifer Andress, State Representative David Faulkner and Mountain Brook City Councilor Virginia Caruthers Smith.

“This project is a textbook example of regional cooperation as the city, county, and state have combined efforts to increase pedestrian safety and improve the quality of life,” Faulkner said. “Hundreds of pedestrians, runners, and cyclists travel this busy and dangerous route each week, and the completed pedestrian bridge will help ensure their protection, security, and well-being in the future. I am proud of the work we have done to create this solution and am honored to help provide a portion of the funds necessary to make it a reality.” 

Homewood City Councilor Peter Wright praised the effort and attention Faulkner has devoted to the project and said construction of the bridge is becoming possible only because of his direct involvement. 

“The maze of jurisdictions involved in this project initially proved troublesome, but Rep. Faulkner stepped in and formed a true coalition of governments,” Wright said. “With Rep. Faulkner’s leadership, the cities of Homewood, Mountain Brook, and Birmingham, Jefferson County, and the Alabama Department of Transportation have all worked cooperatively toward this single-minded goal.” 

Faulkner, who noted that Homewood City Councilor Jennifer Andress also played a significant role in promoting the project, said funding for the bridge will come from his allocation in the Jefferson County Community Service Fund, which allows legislators from the region to direct financial resources toward local public works projects. Design work on the Hollywood Boulevard pedestrian bridge is expected to begin later this year.

PTOs - What's Being Discussed At Our Local Schools

With the new school year finally set into a groove, it has been PTO meeting season. While they do appreciate the funding that usually accompanies me on these visits, it’s always so encouraging to interact with parents and see how involved and enthusiastic they are, in particular throughout District 46.

It really does start at home, so many thanks to these parents and the parents of all the children in our district. In these meetings, we’ve discussed school funding - and how it’s never been higher than it is right now - and that I’m continuing to push for even more. Pre-K funding continues to go up, and I think that’s important.

We’ve also discussed school security, which isn’t always a comfortable conversation, but just because it’s uncomfortable doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have it. I’ve shared with these groups that five years ago, the only school that I was ‘buzzed’ into was Bluff Park Elementary. Not a single Homewood or Mountain Brook school required me to buzz in or have my information recorded. Now, five years later, just about every school has or will soon have a multi-layered check-in procedure, and Hoover has been recognized as one of the safest school systems in the country. And I’m proud to say that our efforts to bring SROs to our schools has been successful.

When it comes to where we’ve gotten with our school security and the procedures and personnel we’ve put in place - is this where I want us to be? Of course not - I’m not happy that these are the kinds of things that we have to do now. But, the safety of our children is paramount, and it’s not a simple solution. These are the things that we have to do today to keep our schools secure.

That said, I continue to be encouraged by the involvement of our local PTOs, and their feedback and input helps me to be more connected and be a better representative.

Thankful for the Support of My Community

Earlier this week, our campaign held a function in English Village of Mountain Brook, and it's just such a blessing and humbling experience to have so many come and support my efforts for our State.

Many thanks to Senator Jabo Waggoner and Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch for their attendance and support.

Reflection: Summer Learning Programs

Now that the school year has started back up, I wanted to take a quick second and reflect on an experience from this summer. 

As education has always been a passion of mine, I had the opportunity to visit a Summer Learning program for children at the old Daniel Payne School. I learned of the program from my close friend Jennifer Gray who works for the Daniel Payne Foundation. The program is for girls and boys in grades 3rd-6th and was started by friend Dr Martin Nalls.

The program is one of the SAIL programs working to equip children with academic and life skills they need to be successful as adults. In just their second year, they had 87 children enrolled!

I am shown here with my tour guides at the school and was so impressed with all the children I met and the program overall. Thank you, Dr Nalls, for your passion to see children educated and thinking outside the box in doing so! Many thanks as well to Jim Wooten for the funding this CAMP program receives from you as part of the Sail program!

Hoover Schools: Amongst Safest in the Nation

Hoover was recently voted the safest school system in Alabama and 5th safest in the nation. My colleagues and I have worked hard to secure additional funds for school security, and the results have shown in the value our SROs (school resource officers) have provided for our children and teachers.

“Both (Superintendent) Dr. Murphy and Hoover High School Principal Don Hulin said one of the biggest reasons they’ve maintained their number one safety status is school resource officers.”

Proud to stand with our SROs and secure the funding to have them in every Hoover school!

Education - and the safety our children in our school systems - continues to be a driving force for me as your representative. We can never stop improving in this area, and I will continue to make sure we are doing all we can to put our children and teachers in a position to be safe and successful in their mission.

If you'd like to reach out to me about this topic, please reach me at David@DavidFaulknerAL46.com.

Believing In Kids to Believe In Themselves

I had the humbling opportunity earlier this month to speak to children at Fultondale Elementary School.

First - I love teaching, coaching - I love being around kids. Their innocence and how they want to learn - they take so much in, and they are just so much fun. My goal when I get these kind of opportunities is that I want to get across the message for these children to believe in themselves.

I think too many times there's so much pressure on children and if they don't do well in sports, for example, then they may not feel valuable or not feel as important as others. And that's just not true. I know from my own experiences that God has a plan for all of us.

I try not to get too much into the religious area when I speak to children in these settings - I'm not there to push one idea over another - but I do feel that it's important to share that I was able to find a place where I could draw inspiration and courage, even when I had failures. And if I can encourage children to find that source of inspiration that best suits them, I feel like I've had a productive day with them.

Kids are trying to learn and find their place - and I believe that if we can all work together as adults to provide strong, loving guidance and inspiration, they will find their talents, feel good about who they are, and believe in themselves.

With kids, you've got a real chance to make a difference. Please take the opportunity to help show them a positive path.

Schools Receiving Checks From County Tax

One thing I've learned - schools like it when you bring them money!

With Crestline Elementary Principal Laurie King

I had the opportunity this week to deliver funds raised from Jefferson County's 1% sales tax alongside County Commissioner David Carrington, Senator Jabo Waggoner, and Representative Jim Carnes. We visited school systems in my district including Homewood, Vestavia, and Mountain Brook.

These funds will help to continue and improve upon the level of success of our surrounding school systems. This is one of those great times when our taxes raised go to areas that will truly lead to a better tomorrow for our State. And I can't think of a better way of doing that than supporting our educators and our educational system.

Education has been and will continue to be one of my top priorities.

Eagle Scout Court of Honor

It was such an honor to speak at the Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony this past weekend, and even more so to present State of Alabama Certificates of Recognition for new Eagle Scouts Lee Cooper and Beau Johnson.

The skills and work ethic that these two young men possess gives me great confidence in their ability to be positive members of society going forward. Eagle Scouts always seem to be the most resourceful of individuals, no matter where you find them in life!

It was also a very special opportunity for me to honor these two fine young men, especially because o my lifelong friendship with Lee's father, Clark Cooper. Congratulations to them both!

Put It In Drive

March 1st was such a thrill for me personally, as Governor Ivey signed into law the bipartisan "Uber/Lyft" Bill that Senator Singleton and I had been working toward for quite some time. I had the opportunity to meet and talk with several Uber & Lyft drivers from the Montgomery area, and they were all thrilled for the opportunities that ridesharing companies have provided to them. One driver told us all about how she uses the extra money to buy gifts for her grandchildren and to store away a little extra cash for rainy days.

Thanks to all in attendance, and I am so grateful that we could put a bipartisan bill like this together that will benefit so many people in Alabama.

Gone Too Soon

My prayers are with the family of my dear friend Lee Dawkins, who lost her battle with cancer Friday night. I grew up with and went to church with Lee and her family, and she was a strong, smart and beautiful woman, who was a great wife and mother.  I know Lee is in Heaven and free of pain now, and I am grateful to God for that, but I specifically pray for God's Peace to be with her 2 daughters, Carlee and Everett, and her husband Bill. Her funeral and celebration of her life is tomorrow at 3.

My friend and colleague in the AL House, Rep Allen Treadaway, lost his daughter, Kelsey, age 31, when she was killed after being struck in the rear of her car by a drunk driver Saturday night in a tragic accident. Kelsey was a teacher and volleyball coach. My heart goes out to my friend and colleague Allen Treadaway and his wife Susan, and all their family. Allen's father was also killed by a drunk driver many years ago, which compounds this tragedy for the family. May God's Peace be with Allen, Susan and all their family. 

David