Legislative leaders support Ivey's efforts to strongarm Veterans Affairs Director to resign

On Monday, leaders of the Alabama Legislature voiced their support for Alabama Governor Kay Ivey's (R) efforts to force the Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veteran Affairs Commissioner Retired Admiral Kent Davis to resign.

On Monday, the Alabama Legislature's General Fund Chairmen, Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) and Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville), along with Chair of the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee Sen. Andrew Jones (R-Centre) and Chair of the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee Rep. Ed Oliver (R-Dadeville), issued a joint statement fully supporting Alabama Governor Ivey's call for Commissioner Davis to resign:

"As members of the Alabama Legislature, we have proudly passed legislation and allocated resources to advance our state's support for its veteran men and women," the Chairmen wrote. "However, we share a lack of confidence in the current Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner's ability to adequately lead the agency and work collaboratively with other areas of state government. We fully agree with Governor Ivey and join her in calling on Commissioner Kent Davis to do the right thing for the Department and step down from his position. In recent years, we have had growing concerns and frustration, the most recent example being the agency's mishandling of its proposed ARPA grant program. This would have been a significant problem had it not been caught by the Finance Department. Fortunately, we were able to quickly resolve the issue by working with the governor to authorize $7 million to veterans groups. Taking care of our veterans in Alabama is too important to let anything stand in the way of that mission. We look forward to a new and even stronger chapter at the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs."

Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) have also voiced their support for Ivey's attempted ouster of Davis.

"Our veterans have sacrificed so much in service of our country," said Reed on his X social media account. "These courageous men and women should be honored with resources and leadership that adequately reflect their service. I fully support @GovernorKayIvey in her decision to call for new leadership in the department."

"I support @GovernorKayIvey 100%," said Ledbetter on X. "A change in leadership at the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs is in the best interest of our state's veteran population."

Gov. Ivey sacked a member of the board and called for Davis to resign last week in a letter accusing the Commissioner of an error on an ARPA request and for failing to cooperate with other state department heads.

https://www.alabamagazette.com/story/2024/08/01/news/kay-ivey-demands-that-veterans-service-commissioner-kent-davis-resign/3990.html

ARPA is a pork fund of federal dollars showered on the states by the federal government just weeks after President Joseph R. Biden's inauguration. Republicans opposed ARPA saying that it was inflationary and would add to the debt. Both turned out to be true; however the states and local governments have embraced receiving this money.

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