Citizens counter after senator’s denial

House Bill 3, which was voted into law in 2016, has been a source of controversy recently in Franklin County.

HB3 authorized “a referendum in each fire district to provide funding for the district through a fire protection service fee on each occupied residence, dwelling, or business” for Franklin County’s fire districts.

At a recent political rally held in East Franklin, Sen. Larry Stutts – who is running for re-election – was asked why he opposed the bill  in 2015 when it was brought to the Senate after making it through the House of Representatives. Stutts said he did not oppose the bill – that he supported it from the beginning.

This statement incited some Franklin County citizens, as well as state Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, who was a main player in getting the bill passed.

The situation was a topic at the Frankfort Volunteer Fire Department May 8 during the Franklin County Fire and Rescue Association meeting. Morrow spoke and provided evidence showing Stutts originally opposed HB3. He, Russellville Fire Chief Joe Mansell and fire and rescue association president Michael Moomaw relayed the story of how they persuaded Stutts to approve the bill in 2015.

“We arrived in Montgomery around 8:30 or 9 in the morning,” Moomaw recounted. This was Aug. 6 after HB3 had passed through the House with Morrow’s signature after three readings from Aug. 3-5. Moomaw, Mansell and Tony Armstrong drove to Montgomery to help convince Stutts to approve the bill after Morrow called them the night before.

Morrow said he called Moomaw, Mansell and Armstrong because he received a phone call from reporter Mary Sell, who informed him that Stutts said he was going to “kill the bill” because he had “bigger fish to fry.”

“I immediately called Michael and told him that he needed to get as many firemen together as possible and get them to Montgomery the next day. It was the only way,” Morrow said.

May 8 Morrow shared a copy of an article written by Sell quoting Stutts saying that he had “bigger fish to fry” and that the issue shouldn’t be dealt with in General Fund budget-focused meeting. Morrow handed out copies of the two bills Stutts sponsored and co-sponsored during that special session to show what Stutts deemed as “bigger fish.”

Stutts, however, said his comments were taken out of context.

“I supported the bill from the beginning. I talked to Judge Moore probably at least a half a dozen times while the details about the districts and the wording of the bill were being worked on,” Stutts said.

“The quote about bigger fish was taken out of context. This was in a special session, and I simply made the point that we had to deal with the purpose of the session first before local bills would be considered on the senate floor.”

HB3 only passed, Morrow said, after Stutts was confronted by the Franklin County citizens three separate times that day in Montgomery. According to Mansell, Stutts told them twice that he had signed the bill, but when they went with Morrow to check on it, the bill had not been signed by Stutts. After they confronted him a third time, Stutts consented and signed the bill.

Stutts had a different story.

“I signed the bill out as soon as it was available to be signed out in the local legislative committee. My support had nothing to do with anyone else contacting me as I had been talking to and emailing with others about the bill for several months,” Stutts said.

“If I was opposed to the bill, all that I had to do was not sign it out of the local legislative committee,” Stutts added. “This is what Rep. Morrow did to the civil service pay bill for the city of Russellville last year. He signed the exact bill for the city of Muscle Shoals but refused to sign the one for Russellville. The bill was reintroduced this year and passed, but it delayed it for one year and cost the city $1,100 to advertise it again. The point is that local legislation is easily blocked.”

Aug. 10 the bill was approved by the full Senate membership and was sent to the governor to be placed on the ballot.

“I have spent the majority of my entire life and currently live in an area served by VF departments,” Stutts said. “This is the best way to fund them for two reasons: It is voted on, and it is basically a user fee paid by the people that need the service.”