 Good morning, Senator. My name is Brianna Black. I am a Sporec State Ambassador from Marshall County and Today I would like to ask you a few questions. Senator. Good morning. How are you? I'm doing well. Good morning to you. How are you? I'm doing all right. Thank you. Good. So the first question is can you please describe me a typical day as a senator? I Can that that day depends on whether or not we're in session or not? we we go in session every year for a total of 30 legislative days, but that can be a little confusing because We that typically lasts about three months We go into session on Tuesdays and Thursdays actual or actual session days where we Vote on bills as a as a as a legislative body and then Thursday or excuse me Wednesdays our committee days That's the days that We have our committee work and in each senator serves on about about six comedies we In the in the past last session I served on pin and we we've worked ourselves death. I I thought it was good for our district to serve on more comedies, but it definitely wasn't good Good for me Some comedies overlapped and I found myself me having to miss some and I just if you're gonna serve on Anything I think that you should you should be the active on it We we kind of changed the rules this time and limited each senator to six comedies Yeah, and so That's that's been much much better and I'm able to focus more on on on those individual comedies So so those days are committee days are still very busy You know in and amongst all your meetings you still have constituents that come to visit and You know Really, I think it's important to make time for them if they if they you've made the trip to Montgomery Then then they should they should have access to their their senator and then and you know a lot of a lot of meetings because you're you know, you're dealing with deals that involve a lot of different groups and that affect a lot of different groups and so you Try to build consensus and so there's a lot of meetings with a lot of different groups and individuals in the meantime, so And then on on you know preparing for sessions, you know reading the bills some of us actually read the bills and so You know those, you know, there's a lot of preparation at night time after dinner Back at the hotel that you have to prepare for the bills that may be in committee the next day or or that will be voted on by by the body and so So session time is is a very very busy time when when we're out of session a Typical day, you know, I I farm I have chicken houses and cattle and so You know, that's that's what pays the bills You know like give you an example of this morning. I was at armist six and and Made it back keep you got as much done. I could I didn't complete everything I needed to do but got back showered and changed and People appreciate that after you've been in the chicken house And then and then back at the office for a day of meetings Typically pretty busy, but I've always always worked hard. I grew up on the farm and and You know, I think one of the the best gifts That my family gave me other than being a Christian Was is a good work ethic and I enjoy I enjoy hard work. So that's a typical day Thank you. Um, the second question. What is the best thing about your job? There's no question. I I really enjoy helping people I'm boy, I Like to work on big projects I've you know, some of the some of the things that I've done Is really worked with the state parks to improve state parks or around the state Came up with and sponsored amendment to which was on the ballot Several years ago that that basically says that if you spend money in the state parks Then that money stays in the state parks. The legislature had been Taking money from the parks for a while because they generate dollars And so the part that kind of led to the decline of the parks. They had they weren't able to to upgrade things and You know do things to bring in more tourists and increase revenue The thing that I've really been focused on now is rural broadband. I've spearheaded the efforts on rural broadband and That has been a labor of seven years now And I literally started with With with begging people to listen to me on the issue and now it's you know One of the biggest issues and a hot topic that we're dealing with especially with the the the COVID Yeah, so so it's Knowing seeing The fruits of your labor being enacted that that impact the state of Alabama and a lot of people at that Is is is one of my favorite things. I you know, I really try to focus on economic development You know, I believe that a lot of problems are solved for people if they have a job and they have income coming in and so You know really focus on making the state And especially our local area more business-friendly through through policy through infrastructure So that we can we can recruit more jobs here And so that hopefully younger people will have more opportunities to stay in areas like ours and stay in the state of Alabama not not have to leave and go to Atlanta and and and in New York in places like that and so I Love seeing Love seeing new opportunities being created for for people throughout the state, which ultimately Will help them for generations to come so that's that's my favorite thing. It's this the most rewarding All right, um third question. What drew you to want to become a senator? Well, I was I Was 29 years old which for a lot of foragers probably seems pretty you know pretty old but It it definitely was and I was the youngest member of the Alabama Senate for Two full terms now. There's a person that's a month younger than me. So I don't have that distinction anymore but I was 29 years old when I decided to really and I Just didn't like the way that our state was headed I thought that we were lagging and lacking in a lot of areas You know, I had been out of Auburn for only, you know Seven years at the time and and you know, I had I had seen my classmates have to leave the state to get to get jobs and And I Refused to believe that Alabama Is not a great place to live That had had the same opportunities that that the other states that they were leaving had or leaving to had and I Guess I just I just had enough of it. I think when Really what kind of in I think inflamed me the most was in 2006 the legislature gave themselves a 63% pay raise Which we I'm proud to say repealed that But that's kind of what got me Interested and and really started to pay attention And and over time, you know over the next really I guess three years I paid a lot of attention And saw how Far behind we were in education with our math scores and reading scores That we continued to go into proration in education and why that was and You know why our our infrastructure was was not in the the shape that that other states were and so And then you saw, you know as far as as far as ethics and things like that how Alabama was lacking in ethics laws You know, and so so I just I just decided I was gonna put my name in the hat and and And move that work ethic into into a campaign and And why and It was a it was a One of the hardest things I've ever done it was 11 months of just talking to people and and you know Just yeah, I went door-to-door. I knocked on I don't know how many doors and and I'd put put a lot of my own money in It I could get people to vote for me at 29, but I couldn't give them get them to donate money Yeah, that was that was much more difficult. I think a lot of people thought I'm gonna vote for him But I don't know if he's got a chance right and and we we wound up we wound up pulling it off and and It definitely it definitely changed my life I could have Had a you know continue with a quiet life on the farm and and it It's definitely not a quiet life anymore. That's yeah What skills and abilities and personal attributes are essential for success in your field Well, you know, I get back to work ethic I think work ethic is important in any field that you you go into I think the communication is important being able to Communicate with with with people whether it be constituents or Whether it be other other colleagues other senators that you you need to communicate your ideas and your thoughts to I think That your your ability to work with people and and you know One thing you don't see a lot of on the national level is compromise. I think you're you're One of the problems that we have right now in this country, especially in Washington is people are not willing to compromise and and that is a That is an A disease not unlike COVID I believe I'm proud to say that I think the Alabama Senate is Very good at compromise. We work very well together From both sides of the aisle There are obviously some areas that that we're too far apart and we can't compromise on but there are a lot of areas the vast majority of That aren't very partisan Education for instance Is is Something that that a lot of people work work together on for the same end But I think that that those things probably the most important Important things I think a strong character your You know morals and and and and you know things like that I think are extremely important They're probably the most important. We don't want to send a bunch crooks To be in in an office that's right, that's that's bid us a lot of times and so You know luckily with our ethics laws you today that we have reformed You you probably get caught So if you've got any Any thoughts about getting in there and coming up with wealthier because of the job you probably don't need to do What are some of your main responsibilities as a senator well Being Responsive really I got the the interesting thing about it is Constitutionally The the only thing that that a senator or representative has to do In the state of Alabama is pass a balanced budget Yeah Constitutionally that is the only thing that we we have But but but definitely being responsive to constituents You know answering we we answer a lot of questions here that that the legislative office in my office in Montgomery that constituents have concerning legislation or concerning Concerning anything we even tell people where certain buildings are that they need to go to For assistance You need to be able to help people, you know, we we help a tremendous amount of people We have especially here at our office in Gunas where we've helped a lot of people with unemployment through through cove it a lot of people and and other issues You know to to See things, you know another another very important responsibility is to be creative and see See things that the state or our area is lacking and And and try to resolve those and fix those such as rural broadband and and you know bring bring people together that that That had the resources to try to try to fix that So those are those are those are typically I would say You know my my responsibilities that that I have and and focus on on on You know daily basis Yeah So what was your very first job before becoming a senator a farmer? I've always farmed you know we I graduated Auburn in 2003 and I majored in agricultural business and economics. I was at the great fortune of being a third generation Auburn agriculture grad my my grandpa finished in 1947 When it was still called Alabama polytechnic it's to He was a agriculture major He was ag ed. He never he never Well, he I say never taught he never taught in school He actually taught the GIs when they came back from World War two often poultry science and And my dad finished in general agriculture in 1977 from Auburn and then Then I you know finished in ag econ and I came home in 2003 immediately after graduation And helped my family on the time pilgrims or well goal-kissed. It's time to ask for pride They weren't allowed or they weren't letting any contracts to build chicken houses at the time. So We waited patiently. I was the first on the list Lee We waited I waited patiently and and worked for a couple of years My take home pay was college degree after taxes was $237 and 87 cents a week. Wow doing really hard labor. We were clearing land at the time and We bought a sawmill a portable sawmill and it was it was it was not there were a lot of days there were a lot of days that I Would think you know, you've got a you've got a college degree And you're doing this That's where I learned patience Yeah and so and humility Definitely learned humility I'm very I'm very thankful for those Few years before I was able to build my first set of chicken houses Finally in 2005 got a contract to build chicken houses got built four chicken houses By the end of the year I bought four more from my uncle Then a few years later, I started a a contracting company that we focused on hydroceeding and erosion control Practices and then Ran all that until until I became a candidate and then I sold my Contracting company because I I couldn't do it all I knew I needed to focus my time on serving the people that That I served so So that that was my first first job, and I'm I'm still still doing I've all I've done farm. Yeah contractor in state center Yeah What was your major in college it was agricultural business economics and it was a it was a great major because I I learned a lot of you know business Business practices learned economics always enjoyed economics and which serves me very well In the in the in the state Senate very well and indeed And then and then agriculture so it was a great mix Of Things that you know, I still use today and the College of Ag You know it they our professors really challenged us there You know, I you know not not downing the College of Business, but I had a lot of courses in in More called louder hall at the time the business building it was all multiple choice tests and In the College of Ag it was short answer That's a type test on all, you know a lot of a lot of my classes Which is you know, we're are more difficult Then then multiple choice. Well, I guess it depends on the best, but But they really challenged us And the interesting thing about it when I graduated The You know, there they're A lot of companies weren't weren't hiring, you know students were we're having trouble finding jobs in their fields, but Ag economics at that time had a 100% hiring rate. It was it was very interesting So I didn't know anyone that didn't have a job immediately upon graduation So I enjoyed that major and I'd encourage folks to look into that major. It's a very it's a very well-rounded major Yeah If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? And if not, what would you change? No question. I would it's it's been very rewarding being able to help Help folks that we failed to to be able to see, you know, as I said earlier Your work being enacted And and and see see the economy prove and see things that you know Well, I voted on this bill I fought hard for this bill and now we're able to see See the rewards of it for instance the always tell people the rolling reserve budget act that I campaigned on that bill and They've been trying to pass that bill for years and it kept dying It changed the way that we budget in Alabama It it it forced us to budget off an average of what revenues were instead of just guessing what they were and then it forced us to put money into a reserve account and Since we've passed that the state hasn't gone into proration and at your age That's probably foreign. You probably don't know what proration was. What would happen? What would happen was this The legislature would take a guess of what revenue they would guess way high Higher than what they were ever gonna be and they would budget off that in education and Then halfway through the school year. They'd say we're not gonna hit those target numbers So they would cut the schools. They basically say well, we're gonna have to cut you by you know 10% And that was that was very difficult and wasn't good for schools. It wasn't definitely wasn't good for students So to see that so that they view it hurt. Have you heard Master that makes it worthwhile That's why I wouldn't change a thing. That's why I wouldn't I wouldn't take it back That's something I always dealt with we dealt with in my age a lot And you know your age doesn't have to deal with things like that. That's what makes it worthwhile Yeah, I wouldn't change a thing and there's been a lot that you have to sacrifice in this job There's a lot of sacrifice, you know, you don't make much money your opportunity costs are different while You know instead of being on my farm. I'm having to you know, be in Montgomery and focus on that and Because I'm gone I have to hire people to be there and so my life costs go up and So so there there is a sacrifice and that's okay It's my choice to do that and I think I think public service should be a sacrifice And so, you know, I wouldn't I wouldn't change a thing Last question, what advice would you give to you interested in your job? You know really You know study hard You know know what the job entails talk to some of us that are that are in it Don't get discouraged Don't let anyone tell you that you're too young or inexperienced Because I heard that You know one thing that I did before I even became a candidate is I actually studied I I Searched online and in a red and understood how we budget while we budget You know what the structure of state government? I wanted to know that I had the propensity to do the job before I Or I did it. I Wanted to to to know what the time situation was the financial situation was could I afford to do it? and so You know, just know study and know know what you are doing know what you are getting yourself into I have seen I have seen people who run Who get an office for four years and and because of finances or personal issues? They only serve one term And you really can't get a whole lot done in one term it takes seniority to really get the relationships built who you know, you know an understanding of of of how the process works and and in just general knowledge of state government and so You know make sure that make sure that you can you can do the job and and that that you're gonna do You're gonna do a good job at it You know get involved in your community Join civic group join You know You know get involved in in leadership positions in your church and and and you know figure out if you Figure out if you you are a leader and if you are develop your leadership skill develop your interpersonal skills working with people and and See if you have the temperament for it, you know, you need to be patient you need to You know, I Always mentioned that the freshman get elected to You know Leave your you come in the state house leave your emotions at the door when we're here to conduct business with the forum and To get in the shouting matches with people and and and be offended by certain, you know Disagreements with someone or because someone's district is different or looks different than yours It's it's not the place to do it and we can do battle on the Senate floor I'm gonna fight for my district and my colleague if the next microphone is gonna fight for his or her district and But when we when we leave that chamber we can leave his friends and and that is a policy that that I have and So, you know I'd say those those of the areas that that I would focus on make sure you can do it Make sure you have the temperament Yeah, oh, thank you so much senator