MONTGOMERY — Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) on Thursday praised Sen. Keith Kelley (R-Anniston) for his new role as co-chairman of Alabama’s Joint Legislative Sunset Committee, emphasizing his confidence in Kelley’s ability to enforce transparency and accountability across state agencies.
“After running fast and loose for far too long, the state’s occupational boards, agencies, and commissions have been placed under an intense microscope by the Joint Sunset Committee over the past few years, and serious issues have been discovered in many of them,” Gudger said. “Sen. Keith Kelley is fully committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse where it exists, demanding a strong dose of accountability, and keeping the heat on those who think they can game the system.”
On Kelley’s first day as co-chair, the committee instituted a new policy requiring all individuals appearing before it to take a sworn oath, similar to those administered in courtrooms. The decision followed discoveries that some testimony provided to the committee in previous hearings contained false or misleading information about agency finances and procedures.
In addition to his new leadership role, Kelley serves on multiple Senate committees, including Finance and Taxation Education, Finance and Taxation General Fund, Rules, Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development, Children and Youth Services, County and Municipal Government, State Governmental Affairs, and Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Safety.
Kelley, a REALTOR® by profession, was elected in 2022 to represent Alabama’s Senate District 12, covering Calhoun and portions of Talladega County.
