State Representative Craig Lipscomb (R-Gadsden) is by profession the only architect in the Alabama legislature and shared with Yellowhammer News his thoughts on building a new statehouse.

The topic of building a new statehouse drew the ire of the public when it was highlighted by Governor Kay Ivey for its inclusion in a wishlist for projects to be funded by Alabama’s $1.8 billion in federal CARES Act money.

The CARES Act is the $2.2 trillion federal stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Congress in an attempt to stabilize the American economy amid the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. It directed $1.8 billion to be spent by Alabama’s state government on projects related to fixing problems caused by the pandemic.

According to Lipscomb, he and his fellow lawmakers “would have never approved funding for a State House from this federal money.”

He adds he “can understand why” the citizens of Alabama were angry at the idea of using COVID-19 relief funds to build a new statehouse.

However, using his architectural expertise, Lipscomb argues that a new statehouse should be built, at some point, to protect the public health of those who work for and visit with Alabama’s legislators.

The representative from Gadsden first lays out that the current statehouse is an old highway department building that was intended to be temporary when it was renovated to hold the legislature in 1984.

He says the current statehouse “is inefficient to operate, simply non-functional in other regards, an aesthetic nightmare, but worst of all, an environmental hazard to everyone who walks through the doors.”

Lipscomb says the envelope of the building is “permitting copious amounts of water to migrate through the walls and windows,” and adds that he believes the facility is “nowhere near code compliant.”

“[T]he current State House should be burnt to the ground while we all stand around and be amazed at the unusual colors emanating from the fire due to the consumption of various unknown carcinogens living within it,” Lipscomb argues.

He goes on to say he “can’t believe that we even permit expecting mothers to access the property.”

Lipscomb further argues against the presence of a new statehouse on the much-discussed legislative wish list for COVID-19 relief funds, but he does maintain that the state legislature needs to find a new place to meet that “promotes the health, safety and welfare of the people who work within it and the visitors who frequent it.”

Lipscomb’s full statement, as emailed to Yellowhammer, as follows:

With much discussion lately over the inclusions of a new State House in the “wish list”, let me give you an Architect’s perspective of the matter. Bear in mind that I am not in favor of building any major governmental structures at this time due to the current state of the economy.

I am not just the only Architect currently in the Alabama Legislature, but I am the only one there has ever been. Very few architects nationwide have ever held office and fewer still, if any, currently do.

A great deal of displeasure has abounded from the inclusion of a new State House on this “wish-list” (from the general public and legislators alike) and I can understand why. Everyone is angry at current circumstances and are just ready to fight with someone over something. Perhaps it cabin-fever or lack of oxygen from wearing these stupid masks. Regardless, we should be focusing our bitterness towards China and should simply refuse to purchase Chinese goods in response. It is a great opportunity for Alabamians to create companies to take back those goods traditionally produced overseas. FYI, Etowah County has a 1,000+ acre Industrial Mega Site if you are interested (shameless plug).

Now, please allow me to provide a bit of State House history. The current State House was originally constructed in 1963 for the Alabama Highway Department. In 1984, the Highway Department took up new residence and their former building was quickly renovated as a “temporary” location for the legislative body to do business within while a proper State House was designed and constructed. Prior to that time, there was no place for the House, Senate, LSA and all other functions of the legislative branch to reside. There was simply one chambers for each house within the State Capitol.

So, its dang near impossible for a legislative body to vote for a new State House, for obvious reasons, and for 35 years, the can got kicked down the road. Now you have a building that is inefficient to operate, simply non-functional in other regards, an aesthetic nightmare, but worst of all, an environmental hazard to everyone who walks through the doors. I can’t believe that we even permit expecting mothers to access the property.

After being elected two years ago, I walked into the House Chambers and thought, “this looks like a Baptist Church built in the early eighties”. I then proceeded to my 6’x9’ office and thought, I cannot be in this room nor permit any constituent to come into this room until I put forth a great deal of effort. You see, there was black mold on every wall. An electrical receptacle was dangling from the ceiling (it still is). The cabinets, which were constructed by prisoners, were not functional and did not open or close. The plaster was delaminating from the concrete exterior wall due to the high moisture level between both surfaces. I sat there and thought to myself, typical Alabama. We can’t have anything nice.

So, I purchased a hazmat suit, a gallon of bleach, rubber gloves and a respirator. Then I proceeded to scrub every inch of the walls, remove the carpet from the floor and take every reasonable measure to decontaminate that closet, um office. Of course, this gave me the opportunity to install new paint and flooring which was nice. However, it still smelled of mildew which simply cannot be completely eradicated because when that stuff begins to grow in the cracks and crevices of aged concrete exterior walls, you just cannot remove it all. The HVAC system (when it works) circulates those spores throughout the entire building.

You see, this nearly 60-year-old building was/is failing. The envelope of the building was permitting copious amounts of water to migrate through the walls and windows. Who knows what’s happening at the roof line? Supposedly, the asbestos was abated in the eighties but I’d bet my last dollar that some still remains. The building is nowhere near code compliant. I will not even begin to list all the deficiencies because it’s absurd. There are numerous violations of varying sorts that I could list but the reality of the matter is that this structure is an abomination. It is a petri dish the likes of which would get most people fired or sued for permitting access to the general public.

So, I’m not trying to excuse anyone for the creation of some “wish-list” or point the finger at anyone for using it as political leverage or whatever. The legislative body as a whole was never aware of such a list and certainly would have never approved funding for a State House from this federal money. I’m simply stating the following fact: the current State House should be burnt to the ground while we all stand around and be amazed at the unusual colors emanating from the fire due to the consumption of various unknown carcinogens living within it. The debris should be removed and relocated to a toxic waste site and a four-story parking garage should be erected in its place.

I don’t care where the legislative body moves to. We can live in a tent city on Goat Hill or a series of trailers behind the Governor’s house. It doesn’t matter; just as long as it promotes the health, safety and welfare of the people who work within it and the visitors who frequent it.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95