 |
| Rep. Jim Barton - Mobile |
This is what he had to say about leaving. “Representing the
citizens of District 104 for the past 13 years has been a great honor, and I am
proud of the many legislative accomplishments my Republican colleagues and I
have been able to realize since taking over the majority,” Barton said. “But as
a father and husband, I have to put the needs of my family ahead of my own
political ambitions, and the business opportunity that has been offered to me
is one that I must pursue.”
Barton said he will be joining the Kinney Capitol Group, a
lobbying and consulting firm that represents the Alabama Retail Association, among
other business interests. Barton, who
serves as chairman of the influential House Ways and Means General Fund
Committee, has held the House District 104 seat in south Mobile County since 2000.
You tell me he worked hard to cut the State General Fund budget to and then
turn around and post a bill for a special election that the citizens now have
to pay for.
“Drafting a state budget with too many needs and too few
resources is one of the most challenging and difficult jobs I’ve ever been
given, but it has also been one of the most fulfilling,” Barton said. Really!
He ran unsuccessfully earlier this year in a special
election for the state Senate District 35 seat, losing to Republican Bill
Hightower of Mobile.
