Marine Senator who Bentley administration attacked for anti-tax billboard speaks out

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March 3, 2015

MADISON, Ala. — State Senator Bill Holtzclaw (R-Madison) on Monday made his first public appearance since the Bentley administration shuttered $100 million in road projects in his district as retaliation for the senator taking out a billboard opposing Bentley’s proposed tax hike.

In the press conference, Sen. Holtzclaw said there was nothing about the billboard that was intended to be derogatory toward the governor personally.

“The billboard is a statement of facts and as a result, more people across the state are fully aware of the proposed tax increase,” Holtzclaw said. “This is not a fight about Gov. Bentley. This is about opposing ideologies on how to fix our budget crisis.”

Here is @billholtzclaw's billboard about Gov. Bentley's possible tax increase… #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/JdjtcKBkHc

— Dale Jackson (@TheDaleJackson) February 23, 2015

Sen. Holtzclaw added, “you cannot get a more generic, black-and-white message than what I put up.”

Last week, Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper told Yellowhammer the department placed several road projects in Sen. Hotlzclaw’s district on hold in response to the billboard. Cooper added that the Governor was aware of his actions.

“It’s not something we’ve made a habit of doing, but in this case we felt like the billboard was simply a step too far,” Cooper said. “If Sen. Holtzclaw feels that strongly about taxes, we felt certain he would not like a lot of tax money being spent in his District.”

Governor Bentley briefly addressed the holdup of highway funds for Sen. Holtzclaw’s district before his speech proposing $541 million in tax increases on Friday.

“The project in Madison County and Limestone County at some point will be resumed,” Gov. Bentley said. “But I also want to say this. We have serious problems in this state. And for a state senator to be critical of solutions to a problem that truly exists before he has even seen any of the solutions is irresponsible.”

The Governor is expected to give further details on his $541 million tax hike during the State of the State of Address at 6:30pm Tuesday evening.

(H/T WAFF)