2024 Alabama Legislative Update
Monday, Jan. 22, 2024 • Jackson Center
AGENDA:
WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS: Sameer Singhal, 2024 Board Chair, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber
INVOCATION: Chairman Mac McCutcheon, Madison County Commission
INTRODUCTION: Heather Wilson, Co-Chair, Chamber State Government Committee
REMARKS: Sen. Arthur Orr, Finance & Taxation Education Committee Chair, Alabama Senate
INTRODUCTION: Tracy Doughty, Chair, Chamber State Government Committee
REMARKS: Sen. Steve Livingston, Majority Leader, Alabama Senate
INTRODUCTION: David Cook, Vice Chair, Government & Public Affairs
REMARKS: Rep. Rex Reynolds, Chair, Ways and Means Committee
Arthur Orr
Since his election in 2006, Arthur has sponsored, and seen his colleagues pass, numerous bills to make government more transparent and efficient, thereby saving the taxpayers money, along with tightening campaign finance laws. He was instrumental in the creation and location of the Robotics Technology Park in Limestone County, the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering in Madison County and the Alabama Center for the Arts in Morgan County.
Arthur has also been a part of business recruitment teams that led to billions in economic investment and thousands of jobs over the three counties he represents. He now chairs the $17 billion Senate Budget Committee for Education and several other legislative committees. He served as Chairman of the Alabama Bicentennial Commission created to celebrate the State’s 200th Anniversary. For his efforts both in and out of the legislature, Arthur has been named to every Yellowhammer News “Power and Influence” list since its inception as one of the State’s most impactful leaders. He has also received many national, regional, state and local awards from education, business, agriculture, government and volunteer entities. He enjoys reading, jogging and travel – having visited or lived in over 70 countries.
Arthur and his wife of over twenty years, the former Amy Bethshares of Decatur, have one son named Jack and a daughter, Anna. He and his family are members of Redeemer Presbyterian Church where he serves as an Elder and adult Sunday school class teacher.
Senator Steve Livingston
Senator Steve Livingston has been a Jackson County businessman for more than 25 years. He is a 1974 graduate of Scottsboro High School and a 1978 graduate of the University of Alabama.
He is a long time member of the Scottsboro Rotary Club and has served as president of the Greater Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. Steve has also served on the boards of the United Way, Boy Scouts of America and on the board of directors of the FNB Bank of Scottsboro.
Steve was elected to the Alabama State Senate in November 2014, representing Senate District 8 and reelected in 2018 and 2022. District 8 includes DeKalb, Jackson, and eastern Madison Counties, and parts of south Huntsville.
Steve is the current chairman for the Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee and serves as a member of the following committees: Rules, Madison County Legislation, Finance and Taxation General Fund, Agriculture Conservation and Forestry, Banking and Insurance, and Transportation and Energy.
Additionally, Steve is vice-chair of the Tennessee Valley Caucus, chair of the Alabama Space Authority. Steve also recently formed the Aerospace and Defense Caucus which began meeting in the 2020 legislative session.
Representative Rex Reynolds
Reynolds is a Huntsville native, attended public schools in Madison County, and later earned his Masters Degree in Public Safety and Justice Administration from Auburn University-Montgomery. He began his career in 1980 with the Huntsville Police Department. Reynolds was promoted through the ranks, serving in numerous Special Operation Units, with a focus on Major Crimes and Narcotics Enforcement. In 2004 Reynolds was named Police Chief, and in 2007 he was appointed to serve as Huntsville’s first Public Safety Director. In 2008, under a restructure by Mayor Tommy Battle, Reynolds served as Battle’s City Administrator until he retired from the City of Huntsville in 2013.
Reynolds has been a community leader for many years. He served with the United Way, National Children’s Advocacy Board, the Alabama Narcotic Officers Association, and the Huntsville Sports Commission Board. He has served on the boards of the Partnership for a Drug Free Community, Crime Stoppers, the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Madison County Alternative Sentencing Commission, and the Alabama Retired State Employees Association. In 2013 he was appointed by the Alabama Legislature to the Madison County Judicial Selection Committee.
Most notable recognitions include the Whitney Young Jr. Community Service Award, Hall of Fame Inductee to the Boys and Girls Clubs of North Alabama, Spirit of Partnership, and the 2013 Commanders award for Public Service by the Department of the Army.
Rex Reynolds is married to Mary Fennell Reynolds, and has two sons and three grandsons. He was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives District 21 on March 27, 2018 in a special election and was re-elected in 2022.
SPONSORS:
PRESENTING SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSORS
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
- Meta Platforms, Inc.
- Poarch Band of Creek Indians
- University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH)
SILVER SPONSORS
- The Boeing Company
- Calhoun Community College
- Raytheon, An RTX Business
- Redstone Federal Credit Union
- Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.
- Trideum Corporation
BRONZE SPONSORS
- All Points Logistics, LLC
- Avion Solutions
- Capstone Research Corporation
- Freedom Real Estate and Capital, LLC
- Garver, LLC
- Huntsville Hospital
- Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Invariant Corporation
- Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM)
- Radiance Technologies, Inc.
- Regions Bank
- Summit 7 Systems
- Torch Technologies
- Toyota Alabama
- Trustmark National Bank
- Turner Construction Company
- UAH College of Business
