Says hopefully we will never have a public health crisis like this again, but in the event that we do, it is critical that our state is ready to respond

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Senator Tom Whatley (R-Auburn) today released the following statement on the first meeting of the Alabama Pandemic Response and Preparedness Commission, in which he was selected to serve.

“I enjoyed participating in the Alabama Pandemic Response and Preparedness commission’s first meeting today, which was successful in bringing the members of the commission together to discuss our goals and what we hope to achieve in examining the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aim is to determine what our state did well, and more importantly, what we would like to do differently in the future,” Whatley said. “The goal of this commission is not going to throw stones or cast blame on our state’s response, but instead to focus on how we can collaborate and get a strong result for the people of Alabama. Hopefully we will never have a public health crisis like this again, but in the event that we do, it is critical that our state is ready to respond.”

The goal of today’s meeting was to review the following objectives that have been assigned to the commission:

For each branch or level of government, the commission shall identify the principal actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the costs and benefits of those actions and how those actions compared to the actions taken in other states.

Governor Kay Ivey, House Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) and Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed (R-Jasper) spoke at today’s meeting and discussed what the state has been through the past 16 months of the pandemic, and the important role this commission will play in ensuring the state of Alabama is prepared for future public health crisis.

Senate Pro Tem Greg Reed said of Whatley, “This is an important working group of elected officials and experts who will play a significant role in carrying out the goals of this commission. I am particularly pleased to see Senator Whatley accept his selection to serve in this role. His leadership as a Senator and his work to make this an effective and productive endeavor will be a tremendous asset to the success of the commission’s mission to serve Alabamians.”