Rep. Frank McDaniel Hard at Work.

You wouldn’t confuse Alabama as the greenest state in the nation, but they are working on improving their status.  Rep. Frank McDaniel (D-Albertville) recently sponsored a package of several energy efficiency bills, including one that would add incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs, certain natural gas appliances and other energy-saving materials to the state’s sales tax holiday.

Similar bills have had difficulty being passed in prior years.  Not in resistance of sustainability, but in favor of government efficiency.  In order to produce a more thought out, government friendly package, McDaniel acquired the assistance from a diverse array of supporters and advisers.  “That package is one that we’ve been working on 15 to 18 months and have had not only legislative folks and state agency involvement, but an awful lot of business/industrial attendance in those public hearings and working with subcommittees…It’s held a lot of interest from a lot of sources.”” said Rep. McDaniels.  This sort of collaboration is necessary when attempting to get the bigger legislative balls rolling.

Other measures in the bill call for creating a commitee to investigate turning Alabama’s vehicles into a “green fleet” and expanding the role of ethyl alcohol to used as an alternative fuel.  Current state laws prohibit ethyl alcohol from being transported in bulk.  Therefore, not are laws being proposed, but a few will have to be repealed.  Finding a balance in the transition to a greener state may prove to be the biggest hurdle to conquer.

In order to achieve the drastic changes in energy and land use many wish to see, the people and government are going to have to work together to reach a common end.  Rep. McDaniels is proof that politicians are still listening.