Dialog, UA Faculty and Staff News

Advisory

Hubbert Addresses LAC

Dr. Paul Hubbert, Alabama Education Association executive secretary and lobbyist, met with the University's Legislative Agenda Committee recently. An uncompromising advocate for K-12 education who has been dubbed "the most powerful man in Alabama" by newspaper editorialists, Hubbert has often butted heads with higher education leaders over funding issues. After presenting a historical context for the antagonism between K-12 and higher ed in this state in their fight for state dollars, Hubbert responded to questions. His answers make it clear that those who wish to support the University's legislative agenda must act now and must commit to future support through the Higher Education Partnership and the UASPAC, the UA system's political action committee.

Hubbert said the 1901 Alabama Constitution and the state's tax structure have forced education segments to be cannibalistic in efforts to get funding from the Legislature. The Constitution resulted from powerful landowners and wealthy businessmen crafting a document that disenfranchised blacks and poor whites in the state, and centralized power in Montgomery. Attempts to change this entrenched system, said Hubbert, have always been squelched. "We need a common vision to make changes," he said, calling that his "lifelong wish."

More Bad Ads? Return to 2/3 - 1/3 Split?

The gathering was not without its skeptics, however. Questions were plenty, ranging from the possibilities for tax reform to Hubbert's efforts to get teachers' salaries to the national average at the expense of higher ed to last year's AEA ads that portrayed higher ed in an extremely bad light.

"I was pleased to hear Dr. Hubbert say that he is not proud of the ads that denigrated higher ed," said Margaret Garner, UA assistant professor in CCHS and current chair of the Higher Education Partnership. "I was disappointed that he chose not to pledge that he and AEA would not return to those tactics."

While higher ed seeks a return to the traditional 2/3-1/3 split of new dollars in the Education Trust Fund for K-12 and higher ed, Hubbert said he would back this more stable means of funding education only if "the two-thirds is high enough." To the question about raising teachers' salaries to the national average in a state that is lowest in so many areas, he said that he forced that issue because it was the wish of the 90,000 people he represents in AEA. "We're still shooting for the national average," he said.

Low-Key Legislative Session Belies Election-Year Jitters

State leaders are likely to hear demands from higher ed voters in this election year for the fair and equitable 2/3-1/3 split of new dollars. Alabama senators and representatives need to hear from UA faculty, staff and students who wish to voice their concerns for funding. Remember that legislators consider 10 communications on an issue to be a "landslide." Go to the following Web link for a current list of Legislators: www.legislature.state.al.us/misc/zipsearch.html.