Opinion

Where Is Paul Lee? Has the Dictator of the House Health Committee Gone Missing?

Guest Contributor

— 2 min read
Where Is Paul Lee? Has the Dictator of the House Health Committee Gone Missing?

Guest Opinion by Rebecca Rogers

Searching for Paul Lee in Montgomery these days is like playing a game of "Where's Waldo?"—except Waldo eventually shows up.

With six session days still on the clock, the House Health Committee—chaired by Rep. Paul Lee—has no meetings scheduled. That's right: zero. Not a single hearing to advance some of the most critical health freedom bills supported by both citizens and legislators.

So, where is Paul Lee? And more importantly, who is he really serving?

As Chair of one of the most powerful committees in the Alabama House, Paul Lee has long held the title of "gatekeeper"—but let's call it what it is: dictator. Over the years, Rep. Lee has refused to give a hearing to dozens of bills that would restore basic medical freedom, religious liberty, and parental rights.

Among them:

  • HB444 – A bill to hold private and religious schools accountable if they deny students religious vaccine exemptions, tying tax breaks and CHOOSE Act funding to compliance with Alabama's own liberty laws.
  • HB503/SB85 – Strong legislation protecting religious exemptions statewide and preventing government overreach into families' medical decisions.
  • Alabama Health Freedom Act, bills that would protect citizens from mandatory masking and testing, plus many, many more bills—written by conservatives, backed by citizens, and buried in Lee's desk drawer.

Lee's silence is not just procedural—it's deliberate obstruction.

Worse, his recent comments show just how out-of-touch he is with conservative values. In May of last year in Houston County, Lee publicly referred to embryos as "samples" during a debate over IVF protections. He said that a bill would shield people who accidentally destroy "samples," but not those who do so intentionally. He even claimed that "life begins at conception inside the womb," but that "here on this podium, it is just potential."

Let that sink in: a Republican lawmaker in deep-red Alabama refusing to affirm that life begins at conception—even in public debate.

So again—who is Paul Lee really representing?

It certainly isn't his constituents. A quick scan of campaign donations shows the answer loud and clear:

  • ALAPAC/Alabama Medical PAC – $10,000
  • Alabama Hospital Association PAC – $10,000
  • Plus thousands more from out-of-district and out-of-state PACs.

Not the voices of Alabama parents, pastors, or veterans. Not the farmers, nurses, or small business owners who want medical choice and transparency.

No, Paul Lee answers to a different crowd—the ones writing the checks.

Just last week in a small-town coffee shop, I had a conversation with a retired veteran who's had enough. Like many, they've watched as Paul Lee dodges accountability, kills conservative legislation, and protects corporate interests. That veteran may just be the one to stand up and challenge the Montgomery machine in the next election—and God willing, they will.

It's time Alabama flush the "good ole boy" network once and for all.

We need leaders who represent people, not PACs.We need lawmakers who protect life, liberty, and parental rights, not play political games with them.And we need to hold accountable the ones—like Paul Lee—who are standing in the way of real progress.

To the voters of District 86: Where is Paul Lee?

Better question: Why is he still in office?


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