Editor’s note: This fall, the Lede is reaching out to your elected representatives, asking what they’re anticipating for the 2024 session and what they’re doing to stay in touch with constituents. Today’s Q&A is with State Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Fairhope, who has served in the Alabama Senate since 2018. Prior to that, he served on the Baldwin County Commission. In his time in the Senate, Elliott has served as chair of the County and Municipal Government Committee and vice chair of the State Governmental Committee, in addition to membership on other committees.

Questions and answers have been condensed and edited for clarity.

1. Is there anything that didn’t pass in the most recent legislative session that you’d like to see revisited and why?

First of all, I think we have to take another look at school choice in Alabama. So, I think that will definitely be something that’s coming back in some shape, form or fashion. That’s a hot button issue. When we start looking at the increased amount of money we have spent in the education realm over the last five or six years, just a steady increase, with results that are, “we’re doing better because everybody is worse,” that’s not good enough. And so I think we need to look at some of that for sure.

Also, I think we need to look at government efficiency as a whole, as it relates to occupational licensing. That is something that I’m fixated on, for lack of a better reason. I think it’s incredibly inefficient, how we do that, we have got to streamline that and eke out all the inefficiencies we can. That’s doesn’t save the state money, but it will save small businesses who are licensed by this myriad of 100 and some odd different boards, commissions, etc. It will streamline that, and it will make the administration of those licensure boards work better and also save small businesses a lot of money.