With the 2023 legislative session almost behind him, Alabama’s Speaker of the House is praising the accomplishments of lawmakers in Montgomery.

During this session, the Legislature passed major legislative priorities, including the distribution of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, strengthening penalties for fentanyl traffickers, a cut to the state tax on groceries, and rebate checks for taxpayers.

Saturday, Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) discussed his first session as the House leader on Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal.”

“If you look at everything that’s been accomplished this session, the things that’s happened, if I could of scripted it I probably wouldn’t have scripted it this well,” Ledbetter said. “I think things will be beneficial for our state for many years to come.”

The Speaker said session was “historic” because of what the lawmakers passed.

“[W]e passed the grocery tax, which I think is huge for Alabama families,” he said. “We passed the rebates where everybody’s going to get a check back. So I think it’s one of those sessions that we can look back on for years to come. Somebody told me just (Friday), said ‘this has been a historic session,’ and for all means, I’d say that’s probably a good way to put it.”

Ledbetter said some of the success of the Legislature this year was the result of the two parties workings together to get some major bills through.

“Man, our members have just worked together,” he said. “We passed the overtime bill which I was a cosponsor to with the leader of the Democratic party. I mean, that never happens, but I felt strongly about that bill because working men and women of Alabama needed that break.”

The House leader admitted that while they were able to get a lot done this session, there are still more issues that will need to be addressed next year, including reforms to the state’s gambling laws.

“My thing was, this first session with 31 new members and trying to get everything put in place and trying to get the organization done and making sure we took care of the people’s business, something like gaming would have distracted us from that, was my opinion,” he said, “and that’s why I just told them up front we weren’t moving any legislation on gaming and I think everyone knew that.”

Other legislative priorities most likely to be put forward next session include expanding school choice, banning divisive concepts being taught in schools, and banning kids from attending certain kinds of drag shows in the state.

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee