Bradley Byrne Governor

Bradley Byrne Candidate for Governor
Biographical information on Bradley Byrne, a candidate for governor: Political party: Republican

Date of birth: Feb. 16, 1955 (54)
Hometown: Born in Mobile, now lives in Fairhope.
Education: Bachelor's degree from Duke University, law degree from University of Alabama.
Professional experience: Practiced law in Mobile for 25 years, primarily in business and employment litigation.
Political experience: Elected to the State Board of Education in 1996 originally as a Democrat, but switched parties in 1997; re-elected in 2000; elected to state Senate in 2002; re-elected in 2006; resigned from Senate in May 2007 to become chancellor of Alabama's two-year college system; leaving chancellor's position to run for governor.

BRADLEY BYRNE Information
BRADLEY BYRNE: LONGTIME DEMOCRAT
BRADLEY BYRNE WAS A SUPPORTER AND FINANCIAL BACKER ($500 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION ON 30 APRIL 1992) OF BILL CLINTON. BYRNE SUPPORTED CLINTON IN UNSEATING CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH.
BYRNE IS A FORMER DEMOCRAT ELECTED OFFICIAL (STATE SCHOOL BOARD).
BYRNE IS A FORMER FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL SUPPORTER OF HANK SANDERS NEW SOUTH COALITION (WHICH ENDORSED BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT)
BYRNE WON ELECTION AS A DEMOCRAT TO THE STATE SCHOOL BOARD BY OUTSPENDING HIS GOP OPPONENT $120,000 TO $4600 (25 to 1!)
EVEN AFTER OUTSPENDING HIS OPPONENT 25-1, BYRNE WON LESS THAN 50% OF THE VOTE (49% to 45% OVER GOP OPPONENT).

BRADLEY BYRNE: TAX HIKER
BRADLEY BYRNE CO-SPONSORED A MANDATORY PROPERTY TAX HIKE TO 30 MILLS OF LOCAL SUPPORT FOR EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN ALABAMA (SB 354, 2003 REGULAR SESSION).
BRADLEY BYRNE VOTED FOR ALL 10 BILLS IN THE 2003 AMENDMENT ONE TAX HIKE. THE BIGGEST TAX HIKE IN US HISTORY BY PERCENTAGE.*
BRADLEY BYRNE SPONSORED BILLS TO INCREASE COURT COSTS AND LEGAL FEES IN HIS HOME COUNTY.
BRADLEY BYRNE WAS THE SOLE REPUBLICAN VOTE TO PASS SB 99, A BILL CALLING FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION (AND PATHWAY FOR NEW TAXES) OUT OF COMMITTEE IN APRIL 2007. BRADLEY BYRNE: SOCIAL LIBERAL
BRADLEY BYRNE WAS ONE OF ONLY TWO SENATE REPUBLICANS TO REFUSE TO VOTE NO ON THE SO-CALLED BINGO FOR BOOKS GAMBLING EXPANSION BILL (SB 381) BACKED BY MILTON MCGREGOR.
BRADLEY BYRNE REFUSED TO VOTE YES (VOTING PRESENT) ON A BILL ALLOWING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS TO BE DISPLAYED ON STATE PROPERTY IN ALABAMA. THE VOTE WAS 28-0 IN FAVOR.

Bradly Byrne Chancellor

Bradley Byrne and Abortion

However, the Brody Bill passage is a bone of contention for the House sponsor of that legislation, Rep. Spencer Collier of Mobile County. Rep. Collier is an outspoken conservative, a dedicated Christian, and a movement conservative. Collier worked hard to maneuver the anti-abortion Brody Bill out of a House Committee and working with House leadership saw the bill pass.

In the Alabama Senate, the Brody Bill was assigned to the Judiciary Committee, Chaired by ultra-liberal Roger Smitherman. Smitherman (Democrat from Birmingham) refused to hold hearings on the Brody Bill. Rep. Collier worked with pro-life activists to work to bring the bill out to the floor for a vote. At that point, then-Senator Byrne refused to co-operate with Rep. Collier and the other pro-life activists, pleading that he did not want to make then-Lt. Governor Lucy Baxley mad.

Collier reports a tense confrontation with Byrne reporting that he did not like Collier raising his voice, which Collier admits that he did. Bynre stated, according to Collier, that Collier was too passionate about this particular issue. Let us pause for a minute at this juncture to take note that Rep. Spencer Collier is extremely passionate about efforts to defend the lives of helpless babies and saw the Brody Bill as one way to move toward respect for life in our culture--a position claimed by the Republican Party for a over a generation.

Happily, Senator Hank Erwin was willing to invoke Rule 10, which allowed the pro-life supporters in the Alabama Senate to bring up the Brody Bill and see the bill pass the Senate, sending this important piece of pro-life legislation to Governor Riley, who signed this bill into law.

When Musings from Maytown reported our previous interview with Candidate Byrne, we reported Byrne's testimony of deep conviction on the issue of abortion and his claim to have been instrumental in passing the Brody Bill. Ever a man of principle, Rep. Collier contacted this writer and could not let this statement stand. According to Collier, Byrne not only was an impediment toward passage of the Brody Bill, he chided supporters for their passion on the pro-life cause.
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As Musings from Maytown stated at the outset of this article, few Alabama politicians will not claim to be pro-life. But the pro-life cause needs advocates and those who will make this issue a priority. In neighboring Mississippi, the last abortion clinic may close, due to an aggressive presence of pro-lifers in the Mississippi legislature and commitment of pro-life Govenors like Haley Barbour and Kirk Fordyce. Will Alabama elect a Governor with pro-life convictions? Tuesday, July 13 will tell. Musings from Maytown--commenting on the culture from a conservative perspective John Killian Blogspot