Tom Butler (Alabama politician)

Tom Butler
Member of the Alabama Senate
from the 2nd district
In office
1995 - 2010
Personal details
Born (1944-04-09) April 9, 1944
Huntsville, Alabama
Political party Democratic Party (-2010)
Republican Party (2011-)[1]
Spouse(s) Karen
Profession pharmacist, Medicare Health Plan manager

Tom Butler (born 9 April 1944 in Huntsville, Alabama) is a politician, and former member of the Alabama Senate. He represented the 2nd District from 1995 until 2010, as a member of the Democratic Party.[2] Senate District 2 is a fast-growing region of Alabama, encompassing most of Limestone County and western Madison County. It includes the cities of Athens, Huntsville and Madison. He was defeated by Republican Bill Holtzclaw in 2010.

Prior to his term in the Alabama Senate, Butler served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1982 through 1994.

Butler graduated from the University of Alabama and then from Auburn University.[2] He works as a pharmacist [2] and health underwriter. He is a member of Optimist International, the North Alabama Health Underwriters Association, and the Alabama Pharmaceutical Association.

Butler was an early enthusiastic supporter of making automated external heart defibrillators (AED) widely available in Alabama. He sponsored legislation to place such devices in all Alabama public schools.[3] He served on the board of the Lord Wedgewood Charity in Birmingham,[4] working to raise money to place AEDs in private schools in the state. He sponsored the Automated External Defibrillator Act, which allowed defibrillators in public and private buildings in the state and provided for training and placement of AEDs in volunteer fire departments and most municipal fire departments across the state. He proposed and helped pass an amendment (Good Samaritan law) to the Code of Alabama to protect persons from lawsuits who use a defibrillator in good faith to aid another person.

Butler sponsored legislation to establish the Citizenship Trust and American Village[5] at Montevallo, Alabama with the mission "...to strengthen and renew the foundations of American liberty and self-government through citizenship education." Butler serves on the Board of Directors for Citizenship Trust / American Village and was the Board Chair for 12 years.

Butler sponsored the Anti-Obscenity Enforcement Act, whose purpose was to prohibit nude dancing in Alabama.

Butler sponsored and helped pass the Dixon-Butler Permanent Contract Review Act,[6] which created a Contract Review Permanent Legislative Oversight Committee to review certain state contracts. This legislation aimed to ensure that ethical standards were upheld in state contracts issued by the Administrative branch. Butler served as chair, and vice chair, of this oversight committee.

Butler sponsored legislation to construct two State Veterans Nursing Homes (in Huntsville and Bay Minette). He worked to fund the Veterans Memorial in Birmingham, the Veteran's Museum and Archives in Athens, the establishment of the Veterans Living Legacy[7] at the American Village at Montevallo, and the creation of Alabama's Veterans Assistance Fund.

Butler authored legislation that allowed the city of Madison to establish its own school system. This system has gained national attention for some of its schools.[8]

Butler served on several committees during his House and Senate terms. His Senate assignments included the following:

  • Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, Alabama Senate
  • Children, Youth Affairs, and Human Resources Committee, Alabama Senate Chairperson
  • Commerce, Transportation, and Utilities Committee, Alabama Senate
  • Finance and Taxation Education Committee, Alabama Senate
  • Finance and Taxation General Fund, Alabama Senate
  • Health Committee, Alabama Senate Deputy Chairperson
  • Local Legislation No. 1 Committee, Alabama Senate
  • Industrial Development and Recruitment Committee, Alabama Senate
  • Rules Committee, Alabama Senate

References

  1. ↑ "Former Sen. Tom Butler appeals to state GOP after being barred from primary ballot". The Huntsville Times. December 23, 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Moseley, Brandon (19 September 2017). "Former state Senate Majority Leader Tom Butler to run for state Senate". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-08-19. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  4. ↑ "Wedgwood website". Wedgwood.blacklabmedia.com. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "American Village". Americanvillage.org. Archived from the original on 2010-12-12. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  6. ↑ "Dixon-Butler Permanent Contract Review Act". Law.onecle.com. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  7. ↑ "Veterans Living Legacy". Americanvillage.org. Archived from the original on 2010-12-12. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  8. ↑ AL, Madison City Schools,. "Madison City Schools :: Madison City Schools". Madisoncity.k12.al.us. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
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