Many may conclude Beasley’s business sense and service as co-owner of Clayton Drug Company and Clio Drug Company might have been what helped him win, especially because the senator made few and often vague promises along the campaign trail.
One of his commitments was to place a term limit on legislators in order to curb corruption. Beasley, a third-term District 84 state representative, was not specific on what the limit might be.
Below are other issues Beasley said he would address if he was elected to the senate seat:
EMPLOYMENT
Beasley was a proponent of Amendment 3, which would have funneled $100 million per year from the Alabama Trust Fund to help fund local and state road and bridge projects and would have created jobs, according to Beasley. More than 50 percent of Alabama voters opposed the measure, but Beasley said jobs were still one of his top priorities.
EDUCATION
Beasley said he wants to reduce the dropout rate and increase the graduation rate in high schools. Such efforts would have to come from the individual student level, while there may be measures Beasley could support in the Legislature that could assist local schools in providing programs that address the two issues. Beasley said he also wants to provide more opportunities within the two-year college system for young adults to be successful.
ETHICS
Beasley said in addition to setting term limits to help control corruption, he would work to see transparency into what lobbyists are giving to senators. He said he would also support subpoena power for the state ethics commission, as well as a public yes-no vote on the issue of gambling in the state.
OTHER
Beasley said he wants to see the state’s budgeting process addressed and that the state needs to live within its means, but he also said he would vote against rescinding a 62-percent pay increase for legislators in which he voted for in 2007. Beasley said he would, however, vote to rescind an approved automatic pay increase that is tied to the federal Cost of Living Adjustment.
The Dothan Eagle will monitor the status of these claims throughout Beasley’s tenure as a senator, along with promises made by other elected officials, and publish future stories detailing the status of those promises.
