The Lee County Republican Forum and straw poll just ended. I am pleased to report that I finished second to Bradley Byrne, and ahead of Tim James, Kay Ivey and the rest of the Republican field. This shows that our campaign is continuing to gain momentum. While second place is respectable at this point in the campaign, I will continue to work hard taking my message of “Putting Alabamians Back to Work” and protecting the unborn to all corners of our great state.
January 28, 2010
Dr. Bentley Responds to President Obama
Please watch my video response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address at the url below and forward it to your friends.
Dr. Bentley’s Unofficial Republican Response to the State of the Union
January 27, 2010
Thank you for Attending Pro-Life Legislative Day
I would like to thank all Alabamians who attended yesterday’s Pro-Life Legislative Day in Montgomery to promote my bills to restrict abortion in Alabama. These bills are:
1. The Human Life Recognition Act (HB 39)
2. The Health Care Rights of Conscience Act (HB 41)
3. Proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit abortion (HB 40)
4. House Joint Resolution opposing the federal Freedom of Choice Act (HJR 12)
Yesterday was a resounding success, and Dr. Randy Brinson, Chairman of the Christian Coalition of Alabama commented, “Dr Bentley’s commitment to protection and sanctity of all human life is embodied in the legislation that he has introduced. As a fellow physician, the pro-life community has no greater advocate.”
Added Jeanne Paxson of Focus on Life, “We have a long road ahead of us on our prolife battle, but I want to thank Rep. Bentley for stepping forward and helping get the ball rolling. Today was a great start on the pro-life front.”
January 26, 2010
Adding to our Team
I am pleased to announce that national media strategist Bob Wickers has joined our campaign as Media Consultant.
January 24, 2010
My Pledge to the People of Alabama
I commit not to take the Governor’s annual salary of $112,894 until Alabama reaches full employment. Read about it in the Opelika-Auburn News: http://bit.ly/5mnZXU
January 19, 2010
Congratulations to Scott Brown
My hearty congratulations to Scott Brown for his upset, come-from-behind victory over Martha Coakley. Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts is another indication that the American people do not want the health care bill which Democrats have crafted behind closed doors.
January 16, 2010
The Natural Disaster in Haiti
Our prayers are with the families of those who have lost family members or loved ones and also those who are missing and those who are injured. This outpouring of humanitarian aid from America shows what a caring nation we are.
If you choose to assist in aid efforts, please do so through a church organization, non-governmental organization, or governmental entity that you trust.
January 7, 2010
Addressing Gambling in Alabama
I am opposed to gambling. I fought against the lottery, and since I have been in the legislature I have never voted for an individual gambling bill, and I will not do so. Gambling hurts the poor more than taxes hurt the poor. Gambling takes money from Peter to pay Paul, and has destroyed many families. It also skims money off the top of local economies, leaving fewer resources for other local needs. Gambling also has been linked with increased rates of domestic violence and other costly social problems.
Those who think gambling is a panacea for our state’s financial situation are wrong. Gambling is a poor way to fund state programs in general. I oppose gambling on economic grounds for the same reason I voted against accepting stimulus dollars earlier this year: the revenue stream may look good now, but the long-term consequences outweigh any short-term gain. No state benefits from gambling, and neither do other local businesses; the only people that truly benefit from gambling are those who own gambling establishments. The only way the state benefits is by taxing gambling establishments or the taxes paid by employees.
In fact, legal gambling actually increases state expenditures due to increased costs associated with problem gamblers. Problem gamblers often gamble away their paycheck, mortgage payments, and any available credit. It is a fact that problem gamblers have higher incidents of domestic violence, and some gamblers will result to crime in an attempt to climb their way out of the hole they have dug for themselves and their families. Both of these consequences of legal gambling require more law enforcement and social service funding, which is the last thing our state needs during our current economic downturn.
I have been in legislature for seven years, and we are not solving the problem, especially with bingo gambling. The political reality is that the people of Alabama need to decide at the ballot box, on a straight Yes or No vote on whether to eliminate ALL gambling in Alabama or to allow legal gambling. Eliminating ALL gambling may give the State the opportunity to take legal action against the Indian gambling establishments for violating the cultural norms of the state. This is how the State of Utah has been able to eliminate gambling, including tribal gambling. However, in order for this to possibly take place, ALL gambling must be outlawed in the state of Alabama.
If the people vote yes, we need to tax it heavily at a rate of at least 40 percent, and regulate it completely by an Alabama Gaming Commission to ensure that the process is not controlled by a select few. Additionally, any electronic gambling machines must be closely inspected on a frequent basis. Princeton University is about to publish a book by Natasha Dow Schull of The Massachusetts Institute of Technology titled ADDICTION BY DESIGN: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas, which reveals the advanced neuroscience, psychological, physiological and technological techniques gambling machine companies use to manipulate players to “play to extinction.” This type of unethical behavior must not be allowed in any Alabama gambling establishments if voters allow legal gambling in our state.
To reiterate, I am personally opposed to gambling in any form or fashion because it preys upon the people who can least afford it, and it is an unreliable source to fund the operations of state government.
January 3, 2010
The Press Register Corrects My Postion on Abortion
Your Word: Bentley gives specifics of pro-life legislation
From the Press-Register
January 02, 2010, 5:32AM
By ROBERT J. BENTLEY
Special to the Press-Register
I believe the Press-Register’s Nov. 30 “Political Skinny” article misrepresented my position on abortion.
As a Christian, as a physician and as a legislator I have never been anything but pro-life.
The article stated that my bills included exceptions for the “health of the mother.” This is absolutely untrue.
As a physician, I know that the life and health of a mother are completely different issues. I do not support an exemption for the “health of the mother” instead of “life of the mother” because that phrase has been an enormous loophole in many states.
In 2008, I served on the Republican National Committee’s Platform Committee as a delegate for Gov. Mike Huckabee. The platform we produced is the most pro-life platform in the party’s history.
Additionally, in October 2009, I submitted the most pro-life legislative package in Alabama’s legislative history. ¶
The package included three bills and one House Joint Resolution.
— The Human Life Recognition Act would require physicians to inform women that an abortion will “terminate the life of a separate, unique, living human being.”
This brings Alabama’s abortion laws in line with our state’s criminal code, which recognizes the life of the unborn in the instance of the murder of a pregnant woman.
— The Health Care Rights of Conscience Act would protect the civil rights of health care workers who are morally opposed to abortion, by ensuring that any health care worker in Alabama can refuse to participate in abortion procedures without fear of reprimand or penalty.
Alabama is one of only three states that do not protect health care workers’ religious freedoms.
— My proposed constitutional amendment would allow the voters to modify the Alabama Constitution to prohibit abortion.
I drafted two versions of this amendment, but pre-filed the amendment with exemptions because it has a better chance of being passed by the Legislature.
The amendment will likely be challenged in court after voter approval, and will be a great test case to determine Alabama’s right to regulate itself under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
— The House Joint Resolution would send a message that the people of the State of Alabama collectively oppose the federal Freedom of Choice Act, which guts every state’s restrictions on abortion and ushers in an abortion-on-demand policy nationwide.
Robert J. Bentley, M.D., of Tuscaloosa represents District 63 in the Alabama House. He is a Republican candidate for governor in the 2010 election.
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