In only a few short weeks the Alabama Legislature will convene for its 2016 regular session. It had been hoped that with a change of party control there would be significantly greater efficiency in legislative performance of its constitutionally mandated functions—especially in the consideration and passage of the budgets under which all state institutions operate. Unfortunately, events of 2015 made a shambles of this hope. But, since “Hope springs eternal,” there is room for optimism that 2016 will be better.

Feb. 12, 1903–As it is now more than simply possible that there will be a special session of the Legislature, called by Acting Governor Cunningham to take up the perennial problem of finding enough revenue to fund essential state governmental functions, the men who compose Morgan County’s legislative delegate are making arrangement for a lengthy stay in Montgomery. The delegation consists of Senator S. A. Lynne and Representatives W. W. Callahan and Daniel Walden. Captain Walden is the senior member of the Legislature from Morgan County.

Jan. 23, 1907–Morgan County members of the state Legislature joined their colleagues today in once more unanimously reelecting Alabama’s two veteran senators John Tyler Morgan and Edmund Winston Pettus to new terms of six years. Both Senators are over 80 years of age and live not far from each other in Selma when Congress is in recess and they are at home. Both were brigadier generals in the Confederate army. (At this time U.S. senators were selected by state legislatures.)

Feb. 28, 1911–It will be either saloons or dispensaries for Morgan County, according to the way of thinking of Captain Dan Walden, one of Morgan County’s representatives to the state legislature. Under the local option bill the voter would have the chance of voting either open saloon, dispensary, or prohibition. No whisky less than four years old could be sold by the dispensary. Walden said concerning dispensary sales: “In my opinion whisky of this kind can’t be sold for 10 cents a drink.”

Feb. 28, 1911–A. G. Wilhite of Falkville, another member of the state Legislature from this county, has introduced a bill to increase the pay of the county commissioners. The bill will be opposed by the other representative on the grounds that, in his opinion, the commissioners are not entitled to a higher salary than the office carried with it at the time of their election. According to the Wilhite bill, commissioners would get $20 per month plus three dollars a day while in session, and $100 year for supervision of the county roads.

Jan. 4, 1927—A new two-cents per gallon tax on gasoline went into effect today. There was agreement between Governor Brandon and the Legislature during the 1926 regular session that the state had to have more revenue to fund road projects and accommodate to the increasing number of motor vehicles. The revenue derived from the new tax will be dedicated solely to highways.

Jan. 6, 1933–Imploring the Legislature for aid to keep the schools from closing, the Morgan County Teachers Association in a meeting here in Hartselle Thursday offered to take a 25 per cent reduction in members’ salaries for the second semester of the 1932-33 term if all other state employees would make a similar sacrifice.

 Jan. 29, 1955–Bob Gilchrist, Hartselle’s newly elected representative in the Alabama Legislature, is hoping for good cooperation between Governor James Folsom (now into the second week of his second term) and the State House and Senate.

Jan. 8, 1963—New Hartselle State Sen. Bob Gilchrist was     quoted by the press as predicting that “the next four years will be turbulent and difficult for the legislature. All we can hope for is that out of the turbulence will come a better economy and a better Alabama.”

Feb. 14, 1974—Tommy Ed Roberts is seeking to represent the Hartselle area in the Legislature.