Paul Bussman
Paul Bussman (Republican Party) was a member of the Alabama State Senate, representing District 4. Bussman assumed office in 2010. Bussman left office in 2018.
Bussman (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Alabama State Senate to represent District 4. Bussman lost in the Republican primary on June 5, 2018.
Biography
Bussman received his B.S. from Troy State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Alabama's School of Dentistry. His professional experience includes working as a dentist.
Committee assignments
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Bussman served on the following committees:
| Alabama committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry |
| • Banking and Insurance |
| • Education and Youth Affairs |
| • Finance and Taxation Education |
| • Governmental Affairs |
| • Health and Human Services |
| • Rules, Vice chair |
2011-2012
Bussman served on the following committees in the 2011-2012 legislative session:
| Alabama committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry |
| • Banking and Insurance |
| • Children, Youth Affairs and Human Resources, Chair |
| • Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics and Elections |
| • Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability |
| • Health |
| • Local Legislation No. 1 |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2018
- See also: Alabama State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Alabama State Senate District 4
Garlan Gudger won election in the general election for Alabama State Senate District 4 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Garlan Gudger (R) | 99.1 | 39,817 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.9 | 343 | ||
| Total votes: 40,160 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Alabama State Senate District 4
Garlan Gudger defeated incumbent Paul Bussman in the Republican primary for Alabama State Senate District 4 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Garlan Gudger | 58.6 | 14,454 |
 | Paul Bussman | 41.4 | 10,195 | |
| Total votes: 24,649 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2014
- See also: Alabama State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Alabama State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014; a runoff election took place where necessary on July 15, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 7, 2014. Angelo Mancuso was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Paul Bussman defeated Bruce Whitlock in the Republican primary. Bussman defeated Mancuso in the general election.[1][2][3][4]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Paul Bussman Incumbent |
73.5% | 24,750 | |
| Democratic | Angelo Mancuso | 26.4% | 8,875 | |
| NA | Write-In | 0.1% | 29 | |
| Total Votes | 33,654 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Paul Bussman Incumbent |
61.4% | 12,069 |
| Bruce Whitlock | 38.6% | 7,597 |
| Total Votes | 19,666 | |
2010
- See also: Alabama State Senate elections, 2010
Bussman and Patricia McGriff defeated Tom Beason in the June 1 primary. He then defeated McGriff in the July 13 primary runoff. He then defeated incumbent Democrat Zebulon Little in the November 2 general election.[5][6]
| Alabama State Senate, District 4 General election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Paul Bussman (R)
|
25,621 | |||
| Zebulon Little (D) | 18,733 | |||
| Alabama State Senate, District 4 Republican Primary (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Paul Bussman (R)
|
7,061 | |||
| Patricia McGriff (R)
|
5,079 | |||
| Tom Beason (R) | 4,565 | |||
| Alabama State Senate, District 4 Republican Primary Runoff (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Paul Bussman (R)
|
7,490 | |||
| Patricia McGriff (R) | 6,339 | |||
Campaign themes
2014
Bussman's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[7]
- Ethics Reform
- Excerpt: "In 2010, Paul ran on ethics reform and making transparency in government a priority. In his first legislative session, he co-sponsored and helped pass sweeping ethics reform and continues to make that a priority for state government:
- Passed legislation, which gave the Ethics Commission the power to investigate violations and gather evidence. (SB1, 2010x)
- Passed legislation, which prohibited public employees from using payroll deductions to pay dues to the AEA and ASEA. (SB2, 2010x)
- Passed legislation, which prohibited legislators from holding other state jobs while serving in the General Assembly. (SB3, 2010x)
- Passed legislation, which placed limits on what lobbyists may give to legislators. (SB14, 2010x)
- Passed Legislation to prohibit nepotism within state agencies and the granting of service contracts with relatives. (SB146, 2013)"
- Jobs and Economy
- Excerpt: "Paul believes we need more good paying jobs. When people have jobs, they are able to provide for their families and are more closely connected to the community. Paul has fought for improvements in infrastructure, tourism, and economic development."
- Passed legislation to allow rural Alabama counties to participate in the Rural Assistance Match Program which provided millions of dollars of infrastructure improvements to the district. (SB192, 2013)
- Passed legislation to further define a compensable week for unemployment benefits. (SB300, 2012)
- Passed the Pharmacy Audit Integrity Act, which established uniform standards and criteria for audit of pharmacy records. (SB383, 2012)
- Passed legislation to extend the corporate limits of the City of Cullman. (SB462, 2012)
- Passed legislation to create the Office of Secretary of Information Technology within State Government as the principal advisor to the Governor on information technology policy. (SB117, 2013)
- Passed legislation to specify the circumstances under which the unemployment compensation account for employers may be charged for overpayment of benefits. (SB201, 2013)
- Taxes
- Excerpt: "Paul believes you pay enough. He opposes new taxes and looks for ways to improve government efficiency to save tax dollars. Government is too big and too costly. New taxes are not the answer and Paul Bussman will oppose them whenever they come up."
- Passed the Jason Barfield Act, which provides an income tax exemption for members of the Armed Forces who were killed in action, and their spouses. (SB393, 2012)
- Education
- Excerpt: "Paul believes that Alabama’s education system has been in the lower half of the country for many years. That’s unacceptable. We need to educate our children at a higher level so they can compete in a global marketplace. Paul opposes all federal intervention into our education system, including Common Core and other federal mandates."
- Passed legislation to provide supplemental funding for teachers certified by National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. (SB143, 2012)
- Public Safety
- Excerpt: "Paul believes the efficiency of public safety should be a core priority for the citizens of Alabama. We should not be handicapped by slow moving bureaucracy when it comes to the safety issue of the people."
- Passed legislation to make it easier for citizens to acquire storm shelters. (SB136, 2012)
- Passed legislation to create the Blue Alert System to alert the public to a suspect that is wanted for injuring a law enforcement officer. (SB180, 2012)
- Passed legislation to create the Alabama Interagency Council for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. (SB262, 2012)
- Passed legislation to create the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency to coordinate law enforcement and investigative services. (SB108, 2013)
- Immigration
- Excerpt: "Paul believes the federal immigration laws force Alabama to protect its citizens. That’s why Paul supported the toughest immigration reform in the nation. We are a nation of legal immigrants. We should welcome those that follow the law and the legal process to work."
2010
Bussman's website highlighted the following campaign themes:
- Creating quality jobs
- "Overhaul the tax code to stimulate businesses to expand and hire our people
- Invest in worker retraining
- Provide small business opportunity for development"
- Improving education
- "Protect parents’ rights to choose how to educate their child
- Assure that our children have a safe environment to learn
- Stop the destructive results of proration by developing a better budgeting system"
- Improving the security of the family
- "Protect the family’s right to bear arms
- Protect the family’s heart by preserving the union of marriage between a man and a woman
- Protect the unborn child from abortion"
- Preventing government interference
- "Block politicians from using your money for political projects and payoffs
- Eliminate the slush funds that buy votes
- Return to a four-year property tax re-appraisal"
- Illegal immigration
- "AL cannot be a safe haven for illegal immigrants
- Companies should not be allowed to bid on State jobs without proof of the legal status of their employees
- Utilize the E-Verify system to identify a legal workforce in AL"
- Ethics
- "Stop the PAC-to-PAC shell game
- Open all records for public scrutiny
- Make lobbyists and legislators disclose all contributions and perks"
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Endorsements
In 2010, Bussman's endorsements included the following:[8]
- The Alabama Tea Party Express
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
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2018
In 2018, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from January 9 to March 29.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to small business issues.
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2017, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from February 7 through May 19.
|
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2016, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from February 2 through May 4. The Legislature held a special session from August 15 to September 7.
|
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2015, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from March 3 through June 4.
|
2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2014, the Alabama State Legislature was in session from January 14 through April 4.
|
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
He and his wife, Holly, have four children.
Noteworthy events
On August 22, 2016, Bussman sent a letter to Senate leadership withdrawing from the Republican caucus. Bussman said he would remain a Republican, but resigned from the caucus in protest over how multiple lottery and gambling bills were handled in the special session. Bussman said on the legislation that led to his resignation that, "The lottery bill had problems and only about four of the Republican senators had signed off on it. The leadership went to the Democrats to get enough votes. That didn't reflect the views of the Republicans." State Sen. Dick Brewbaker (R) also resigned from the Republican caucus.[9]
See also
- Alabama State Senate
- Senate Committees
- Alabama State Legislature
- Alabama state legislative districts
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Paul Bussman's campaign website
- Profile from Open States
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions via Follow the Money
- Paul Bussman on Twitter
Footnotes
- ↑ Alabama Democrats, "Qualified candidates for public office list," accessed February 25, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Republican Party, "State Senate," accessed February 25, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Official Democratic Primary Results," accessed June 20, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Official Republican Primary Results," accessed June 20, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Official 2010 Republican primary results," accessed January 1, 2015
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Official 2010 General election results," accessed July 8, 2015
- ↑ Paul Bussman, "Issues," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑ The Alabama Tea Party Express, "Endorsements," November 2, 2010
- ↑ The Cullman Times, "Bussman quits Republican caucus over handling of lottery bill," accessed August 23, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Zebulon Little |
Alabama State Senate District 4 2010-2018 |
Succeeded by Garlan Gudger (R) |
