Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey delivers the State of the State address on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024 in Montgomery, Ala. Ivey on Tuesday signed a law restructuring the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs and reducing its powers. (Stew Milne for Alabama Reflector)
Gov. Kay Ivey Tuesday signed a law restructuring the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs and reducing its powers.
The bill was amended as it moved through the Legislature, initially reducing the size of the to nine, only to bring it back up to 17 members.
“We will use this new structure to focus on what matters most — serving those who sacrificed so much for our freedoms — our veterans and their families,” Ivey said in a statement after signing the bill.
Under SB 67, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, the board will retain its current size of 17 members, but the governor will appoint the commissioner. The bill would also specify the appointing authorities for vacancies on the board.
The bill also removes the board’s ability to enact policies and rules on veterans’ issues, reducing them to an advisory role in the governor’s office.
Ivey appointed Jeffrey Newton, a retired brigadier general, as commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs board after signing the legislation.
Newton served as acting commissioner after Gov. Kay Ivey fired former Commissioner Kent Davis over a dispute over Davis’ handling of federal grants. Ivey demanded Davis’ resignation, but he refused to step down. He then offered his resignation after meeting with the governor, but board members asked Davis to withdraw his resignation and voted to keep him, saying they found no wrongdoing. An attorney for Davis has suggested he is considering pursuing legal action.
Ivey and Jones maintain that the aim of the board’s restructuring is to “further elevate veteran needs in Alabama.”
“Elevating the commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs to a cabinet-level position is certainly the right path forward for Alabama when it comes to better serving and supporting our veterans,” Jones said in the governor’s press release.
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