State Representatives
Bills Sponsored:
Ben Harrison in his own words:
Representative Harrison sent in an op ed to Alabama Daily News in April. Read it here. He laments on HB347 failing to pass; a bill that would allow victims of “nonconsensual intimate imagery” to sue the people creating and/or posting this content. This bill would include images created by AI, and he specifically references Musk’s Grok AI. I highly suggest reading his article, as it’s short and shows a frustration with the legal system that I deeply empathize with.
There is not much more information available from him personally, as I could not find a campaign website for him nor even a Facebook account.
Ben Harrison in the bills he’s sponsored:
In my opinion, Ben Harrison’s sponsored bills show a long record of him trying to do the right thing to protect women, children, and especially wildlife and ultimately failing to get anything passed. Some might say that failing to get anything passed makes him an ineffective politician, and that may be true. However, I believe it’s worth giving him credit that he’s tried to put this legislation forward in the first place. His bills give me the impression that he loves animals and wants to protect them and encourage others in their protection and care for wildlife. He’s also put forth commendations for a local robotics club as well as a Future Farmers of America String Band.
No politician is perfect; in fact I personally have a hard time believing any politician is good. Even then, reading through the bills sponsored by Ben Harrison gives me a touch of hope.
His potential successor:
In this upcoming general election, Representative Harrison is running against Rick Pressnell. Rick Pressnell has made a point on his campaign website to emphasize the importance of affordability and the myriad of ways the government can and should step up to make things easier for us citizens.
He elaborates further on other issues he finds important, including: expanding Medicaid, a state education lottery, decreasing maternal and infant mortality, protecting women’s rights to IVF and contraceptives, public safety, restrictions on loud vehicle stereos, a Citizens Ballot Initiative, term limits for Alabama legislatures, and several other things.
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This bill would give individuals a way to sue anyone distributing nonconsensual pornographic material of them, whether the images are real or AI generated. It would also require websites to have a process available through which someone can request the removal of the images depicting them, as well as require the websites to post a notice of the capability to have these images removed.
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Also known as the Alabama Good Samaritan Wildlife Rehabilitation Act, this would allow individuals to care for injured wildlife that is not endangered or otherwise federally protected for a period up to 6 months, or 3 years if it’s a beaver. It requires that the animal be returned to the area it was found after this period of time, and certain species are required to get a rabies vaccine before being released provided there is a veterinary clinic within 5 miles that offers those services to wild animals.
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This bill reinforces previous statutes about law enforcement officers requiring a warrant to enter on private property exempting specific circumstances, and adds another couple of exemptions: Law enforcement may enter the property if they observe a wild animal that is crippled or distressed and needs to be euthanized, OR if the officer has probable cause to believe there is an unlawful killing or destruction of a wild animal or plant. Even under these conditions, officers are required to do their best to give notice to the property owner, turn on their body cameras, and record footage of the animal or plant.
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This bill would require any entity that employs at least six individuals to accept cash as payment for in-person purchases, subject to certain exceptions
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This bill would authorize the State Board of Midwifery to accept gifts and grants, as well as authorize licensed midwives to provide care in freestanding birth centers and to administer some newborn screening tests.
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This bill would amend the state constitution to allow for the creation of a state bank.