A growing number of state lawmakers are supporting Governor Kay Ivey’s request for the commissioner of Alabama’s veterans’ affairs department to resign. This comes ahead of a special meeting scheduled for Tuesday, where there is a possibility of his removal.
The General Fund chairs of the Alabama Legislature, Senator Greg Albritton and Representative Rex Reynolds, along with Senator Andrew Jones and Representative Ed Oliver, have issued a joint statement on Monday. They support Governor Ivey’s call for the resignation of Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Kent Davis.
According to the statement, it is stated that…
As members of the Alabama Legislature, we have proudly passed legislation and allocated resources to support our state’s veterans. However, we lack confidence in the current Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner’s ability to lead the agency effectively and collaborate with other areas of state government. We fully agree with Governor Ivey and join her in urging Commissioner Kent Davis to step down from his position for the benefit of the Department.
In recent years, we have become increasingly concerned and frustrated, particularly with the agency’s mishandling of its proposed ARPA grant program. Thankfully, the Finance Department caught the issue, and we were able to swiftly resolve it by authorizing $7 million to veterans groups in coordination with the governor. We believe that taking care of our veterans in Alabama is of utmost importance, and we are eager to witness a new and stronger chapter at the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs.
Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, a Republican from Rainsville, and Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed, a Republican from Jasper, also stand in support of Ivey’s call for Davis’ resignation.
The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) did not respond for comment when contacted regarding Davis.
On Friday, Davis declined Ivey’s request for his resignation. In response, Ivey has scheduled a special meeting of the Board of Veterans Affairs for 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of removing Davis from his position.
There are concerns surrounding Davis regarding allegations that (ADVA) mismanaged $7 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act earlier this year.
The decision to expand the pool of ARPA awards from 15 to 33 was made suddenly, with the change occurring between two meetings on Jan. 10 and Jan. 11. The Department of Finance stated that it is unclear which members of the State Board of Veterans Affairs were involved in the discussion with the selection committee that led to this decision.
In early April, ADMH informed the Department of Finance that it is ending its agreement with ADVA and will no longer be responsible for managing the ARPA programs.
In a letter dated April 2, ADMH Commissioner Kim Boswell expressed her concerns about ADVA’s actions, stating that they have put her agency at risk of potential audits and other negative consequences due to questionable requests. One particular concern raised by the agency pertains to a grant recipient who had requested funding for lobbying, which is strictly prohibited.
On Thursday, Ivey made the decision to remove Col. John Kilpatrick from his role on the State Board of Veterans Affairs.
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