With the 2019 Alabama Legislative session set to begin March 5th, Rep. Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville) now knows his committee assignments for the next four years.
Committee assignments are made by Alabama Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia), and McCutcheon assigned Kiel to the State Government Committee, Insurance Committee and the powerful House Ways and Means Education Committee.
The House Ways and Means Education Committee is responsible for Alabama's education budget. As a freshman legislator, Kiel finds himself in the unusual position of sitting on this committee, as it's a popular committee requested by many House members.
“I've found out I'll be the first University of North Alabama graduate on the committee and the only member from Northwest Alabama,” Kiel said. “It's one of the most prestigious committees in the House and very powerful as our responsibility includes making sure the education budget is properly seen to,” he added.
Both Kiel and his Democratic opponent Eddie Britton for House District 18 made their support of public education a central aspect of their campaigns in 2018.
The Ways and Means Education Committee will meet January 29th and 30th in Montgomery at the State House for budget hearings. Those hearings are open to the public and Kiel encourages anyone interested to attend.
Franklin County Superintendent of Education Greg Hamilton said it was important to have a local legislator have a voice in the education budget process.
“I was pleased to see Representative Kiel named to this important committee. Obviously, making sure public education is adequately funded is a priority for the people of Franklin County, as evidenced by their continued support of the one-cent sales tax,” Hamilton said. “We look forward to working with Rep. Kiel in the coming four years and working together to provide the best education for our children.”
As a member of the House Insurance Committee, Kiel will be part of the group that handles all legislation relating to the state's insurance industry and the millions of Alabama residents who rely on it.
“There are some unique challenges there statewide. We have issues on the Gulf Coast with hurricane problems and insurance is important in Northwest Alabama because of the tornado issues we deal with each year,” Kiel said. “So we are all affected by insurance and the decision we make.”
Kiel joined other legislators for orientation last month in Montgomery. A second organizational session was held earlier this month and that's where legislators certified the election results, organized the legislature and elected the Speaker of the House, Speaker Pro-Tempore and Clerk of the House.
Kiel was in Montgomery Monday to attend the inauguration of Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey.
To contact Kiel, call him at 256-810-1247 or email him at jamie.kiel@alhouse.gov.
