MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Insurance bills, particularly on wind and homeowners insurance, are among a few items being considered by the Baldwin County legislative delegation.  

“There’s not a lot of local legislation driven toward us this time around in that we dealt with a lot last year,” said Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne during a recent interview at the state capitol. “We have a series of bills that we are continuing to move forward as far as reducing the cost of insurance.”

Rep. Steve McMillan R-Bay Minette said a catastrophic-loss insurance bill is in the works but has not been introduced. This insurance bill would aid in the recovery processes from any major damage from natural disasters.

Insurance is such a big topic because it is the General Fund’s No. 1 source of income.

It is also interesting to many of the residents along Alabama's coast because after Hurricane Katrina's $45.9 million in damages, most insurance companies raised their premiums by at almost 75 percent, according to Insurance Providers. 

Although Gov. Robert Bentley has not released the General Fund budget proposal, most legislators already feel that it will be a glum year for Alabama.

"There is a shortage in all of our budgets," Rep. Joe Faust R-Fairhope said. "It wouldn't take a blind man to know the whole country is in bad shape."

The emphasis has been focused mainly on insurance, but beautification and tourist attractions are other topics under consideration by the delegation.

In order for tourism to come back to the Gulf Coast, the Gulf oil spill cleanup will have to receive adequate coverage so tourists will see the improvement and want to come back to the area, Davis said.

The federal government oversees all major areas of the clean-up and manages correspondence with British Petroleum, which was in charge of the well that caused the spill.The state looks to current speaker of the U.S. House, John Boehner, R-Ohio, for information on the clean-up. 

There has also been continued emphasis on a bill requesting an extension on the Beach Express from I-10 to the toll-bridge interchange in Orange Beach, McMillan said.  

Davis said that he will continue to pursue a name change of U.S. Highway 31 in Spanish Fort to to Warrior Highway.

“It is a significant name to the veterans who will be buried in the new cemetery,” he said.

The Veterans Cemetery, Alabama's first cemetery solely for veterans, was approved for construction in 2009 by the legislature.

Davis said the 103-acre tract, located on Alabama  Highway 225 at Saluda Hill, is under construction and will likely be completed this year.

Troy University journalism student Tyler Myers of Mobile,who is a native of Baldwin County, wrote this story as part of a project partly funded by the Alabama Press Association Journalism Foundation.