Tuberville Talks Taxes, Schools and Sports in Birmingham

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville mixed football, college sports policy and his campaign for Governor Monday during an appearance at the Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club.

The former Auburn head coach and Republican nominee for Governor told reporters he wants to cut the tax burden on Alabama families, take a hard look at State spending and shift more education dollars away from administration and into classrooms.

Tuberville also spoke at length about the upheaval in college sports caused by Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) payments and the transfer portal — an issue he has worked on during his six years in the Senate.

With the Nov. 3 general election approaching, some of his sharpest remarks came when reporters turned from football to his race against Democratic nominee Doug Jones.

“I’m not running against an opponent. Basically, I’m running against an ideology that’s not very compatible with people of Alabama,” Tuberville said. “So, I’ve been representing Alabama for six years, and we’ll turn it over to the voters here in about six, seven weeks and see what they say.”

Tuberville said he believes his background as a coach, businessman and senator would allow him to make a difference as the State’s chief executive.

“I’m excited about the possibilities of being the CEO of the State of Alabama,” he said. “I wouldn’t do it if I thought I couldn’t make a huge difference. So that’s the reason I’m doing it.”

Tuberville also stressed that, if elected, he would represent Alabamians who did not vote for him.

“I’m going to be the Governor for all people in the State of Alabama,” Tuberville said. “I have a difference of opinion of how things should be run by some on the far left. So, no matter whether they vote for you or not, you got to represent them. You should try to make life as good for them as anybody.”

He then summed up the values he said would guide his administration.

“I do have a way of life that I believe in: God, family, country, and that’s going to be the top of our agenda,” Tuberville said. “I believe in education. I believe in law enforcement.”

Those themes track with Tuberville's campaign platform, which calls for lower taxes, less government waste, more manufacturing jobs and expanded school choice.

When asked about the cost of living and how Alabama could cut taxes while still paying for roads, prisons and other needs, Tuberville said government at every level takes too much from taxpayers.

“We all pay too many taxes,” Tuberville said. “I’ve been in the United States Senate for six years, and it seemed like Republicans and Democrats look for ways to bring in more money and spend more money.”

Tuberville said his campaign has spent roughly a year and a half examining State government and looking for places where spending could be cut or made more efficient.

“Your life is better when you don’t have to pay out of your paycheck more and more taxes, whether it’s local, State, or federal taxes,” he said. “And you got to look for ways to do that, but you also got to find ways to bring in money.”

He pointed to prisons, roads, bridges and schools as major demands on the State budget.

“We got a lot of problems. We got prisons that need to be reformed. We’ve got roads that need and bridges that need to be built,” Tuberville said.

Education, he argued, is one area where Alabama should examine not just how much it spends, but where the money goes.

“We’ve got education that we will really take a look at and try to make it better by not spending as much money,” Tuberville said. “We spend a lot, lot of money, and unfortunately, we don’t get our bang for the buck. I think we have too many administrators and not enough teachers.”

Tuberville's campaign says his economic agenda would seek to lower taxes, cut waste and reduce regulation while attracting more manufacturing investment to Alabama.

The setting gave Tuberville a chance to return to familiar ground — sports.

He told the Quarterback Club that he has attended the Birmingham event since 1994 and praised its charitable work for children. He then turned to what he sees as the growing problems in college athletics.

Tuberville said he supports allowing athletes to earn money from their name, image and likeness, but argued that education has lost its place at the center of college sports.

“I’ve always been for players having the opportunity to make money, but my number one goal as an educator and a coach was to make sure that they got a good education, and anything after that was a bonus,” he said. “Unfortunately, the NIL has kicked education to the back row.”

Tuberville introduced his own Student-Athlete Act earlier this year. His proposal would give athletes five consecutive years of eligibility and generally allow one transfer without having to sit out a season.

A different measure, the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), is now moving through the Senate. The chamber voted 77-22 on Sept. 17 to proceed to the bill, setting up debate and further votes. The measure includes national NIL rules, athlete protections and transfer provisions.

Tuberville has previously criticized the Cruz-Cantwell approach as giving Washington too much control over college athletics. The bill’s supporters say it would bring national standards and stability to a system now governed by a patchwork of rules.

At Monday’s event, Tuberville said he expects the Senate fight over college sports to come to a head soon.

“We will probably vote on it in the Senate,” he said. “Final vote will probably happen this week or next week. And if it does pass, it’ll go to the House.”

For Tuberville, the issue remains tied to his years on the sidelines.

“It’s about the athletes,” he said. “It’s not about coaches or administrators. It’s about the athletes and their future, and how we can help and enhance that.”

For more information on Tuberville’s campaign, visit https://www.coachforgovernor.com.

Tuberville’s full remarks may be seen on the ALPolitics.com Facebook page at THIS LINK.